Finding Home
by Sliverloc303
Summary: Ryan and Julie have never felt like they belong anywhere, espically with their awful mother. But if she is their mother than why do they look like Jamie and Eirca Scott, two kids who disappeared foueteen years ago.
1. Chapter 1

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of this.

Haley stroked the picture on her nightstand. She didn't have the strength to out of bed. She could usually go through her day as normal but it was days like today that she found hard. Days where every little thing reminded her of him.

The picture was of a blond haired boy with a cheeky smile holding his baby cousin. He had been so excited that she had been born on the same day as him. She loved that picture the most because it had both of them in it.

Haley rolled over and looked at the space on the other side of the bed. Nathan had to get up for his work. The game was in a few days and the Ravens still needed more training. But Haley knew that he would be distracted and quiet, just like her. Days like this were hard for both of them, not to mention Lucas and Peyton. Days like this made it hard to be happy or excited.

Today was Jamie and Erica Scott's birthday, and the anniversary of their disappearances.

"Ryan! Julie! Get down here right now," Carrie screamed from the kitchen. As she put the toast on the table, a handsome blond boy walked into the room. He had a black jumper on and a pair of worn out jeans. He sat at the table without a word to Carrie and poured some cereal.

Carrie sat down next to him and buttered some toast. Then a younger girl bounded into the room, wearing a t-shirt and shorts and sat down opposite the boy. She grabbed the cereal and poured herself a bowlful. "Hungry," the boy asked sarcastically. The girl just stuck her tongue out to him playfully. "Come on guys, be excited! Today is your birthday," Carrie said. "Great, I'm so happy I could wet myself!" the boy said, a hint of spite mixed in with the sarcasm.

"Ryan, don't ruin the day. You're turning 18 and that is a big deal." "Yes, and you can do so many things when your 14," the girl said, her tone identical to the boy's. "Julie, I don't want you picking up your brother's bad habits. Uh, I just knew the two of you would be like this," Carrie pursed her lips, sulking.

"So didn't by us any presents in advance? Don't worry Carrie. You've blamed us for about everything that has gone wrong in your life since we were kids," Ryan said standing up.

"We know the drill," Julie followed Ryan's actions.

Lucas sat at his laptop and waited. He waited for inspiration to come so he could start writing. But it didn't. It never did on days like this. Right before Erica was born, Lucas gave up coaching the Ravens so that he could concentrate on his writing and his family. Nathan had taken the coaching job and still treated Lucas like a co-coach, asking him what he thought and did he think they need to train more or less.

Lucas sighed as he looked over at his wife. Peyton was sitting up on the bed, drawing. She drew the same picture every year on the same day. A picture of Jamie and Erica when they disappeared. She had drawn 14 pictures in all and she kept them in a box under the bed.

Lucas didn't know what was worse. Knowing they were dead or not knowing. If they were dead then they could have a funeral and they could have closer. But they didn't, so they couldn't.

Lucas had seemed like the strongest of them all, the one to go on TV and beg for their children back, the one to always go on search parties, the one who kept it together.

But really Lucas was like the rest of them. He hoped that they were OK; he hoped that they were alive. Most of all, just like the rest of them, he wondered what they looked like, 14 years down the line and would they ever get them back.

The kids walked out the door, slamming it shut. "Come on, let's go to the diner, I'll treat you to a real birthday breakfast," Ryan said happily. Julie smiled. "You've treated me to a birthday breakfast every year since you turned 12 and I turned 8," she said.

"Well it's not like Carrie is going to do anything special. She always finds some way for the day to revolve around her." Julie just smirked.

They walked down the main street and saw a big banner stretching from one side of the street to the other. The words GOOD LUCK TO THE WARRIORS IN NEXT SATURDAY'S GAME were printed across it.

"You nervous about the game," Julie asked. "A bit. I mean we're playing a really good team."

They walked into the diner and sat at their favourite table. The cook there knew what day it was so they didn't need to order; the food would just come. As they tucked into their breakfast, Ryan said, "Now this is so much better than Carrie's cooking." "She hates it when you call her that. She prefers to be called Mom," Julie said.

Ryan's eyes grew dark and he said slowly, "I don't care what she says, that woman isn't my mother and I'm pretty sure she's not yours either. Don't you ever get this cold feeling off her? Like something's not right" Julie nodded. "Do you think we're adopted or something?" she asked. Ryan shrugged his shoulders, ending the conversation.

That topic was a touchy subject for both of them.

"So do you think I can come to your game on Saturday?" Julie asked lightly, ending the silence. "Sure," Ryan said, "I can't play without my lucky charm there to cheer me on." Julie laughed. "With your skills I doght you need a lucky charm," she said. "You're not so bad yourself."

"So where is this game? Is it home or away?" she asked. Ryan swallowed his food and replied, "Away."

"Some town called Tree Hill."


	2. Chapter 2

**Finding Home.**

**Disclaimer:** This is disclaimer is for all the chapters in this story, including the one before this one. I don't own any of this at all.

The Tree Hill gym was filling with people, all waiting to watch the basketball game. The Ravens were in their dressing room and Nathan was giving them a pep talk. He tried his best to inspire the team but it wasn't that easy and the team understood. They knew the kind of week he was going through. If Jamie was still around there was no doubt that he would be on the team, probably the captain. He's Nathan Scott's son after all.

The Ravens came out onto the court and the crowd clapped. Lucas, Peyton and Haley were sat on the bleachers, cheering on Nathan and the team. Peyton waved as Brooke came into the gym. "Hey thanks for saving me a seat. I had trouble finding a babysitter."

Although Brooke would still love a child of her own, she found that fostering them was very rewarding. It didn't matter if they were a baby or a teenager, Brooke would take them in. She began to tell them about this new child but she stopped as the other team, the Warriors came into the gym.

"What's wrong Brooke?" Lucas asked. "That kid," she pointed to the Warriors captain. "He reminds me of someone." The other three looked over and Haley gasped. That hair, those eyes… "Jamie?" she said.

Peyton put a hand on her arm. "Haley, don't get carried away. That kid can't be Jamie. Not after this long." Brooke nodded. "Peyton's right. I'm sorry I pointed it out."

Lucas looked over at Nathan. He had seen the boy as well and he looked over at the four of them. Lucas shook his head and Nathan understood. He may look like Jamie but he couldn't be Jamie.

Ryan started to warm up and scanned the crowd. He smiled at Julie, who was on the bleachers and he let his eyes wander. He saw a women sitting talking to three other people. She looked so familiar. Where had he seen her before? She looked so caring and kind. Ryan felt a warm, safe feeling wash over him as he watched the woman.

She turned her head and blew a kiss to the coach of the Ravens. Come to think of it he looked familiar too. The two of them looked happy but he could see the same sad smile on their faces, like they were thinking the same thing. Ryan shook off his thoughts and grabbed a basketball.

It was half way through the game. The Warriors were up by a point and the clock was ticking. Then a Raven scored a three pointer. The cheering was deafening. Nathan watched as the Warriors captain nodded his approval and grabbed the ball. The kid has talent, Nathan thought. He was obviously the best player on their team, maybe even the court.

Then a Warriors player shoved a Raven. When the crowed booed him, he held up his hands and shouted, "What?" The Raven, John, was about to get up when a hand appeared. He looked to see the Warriors captain. John took his hand and pulled himself up. "Thanks," he said as he let go. "No problem," the boy replied. "John," he introduced himself. "Ryan," the captain said.

The crowd watched this and saw as Ryan went over to the player. "You pull another dirty trick like that again and I'll have you off this team before you can say basketball," he threatened. The player nodded, looking at the floor.

"Wow," Lucas said. "I thought the kid would be more competitive but he's being really civil to the Ravens. He 's got a lot of talent as well." Peyton nodded and said, "The way he plays…he…he reminds me of Nathan." She said it quietly so Haley wouldn't hear. "I know but just let it go. There's no point in giving them false hope. Or getting our hopes up about Erica." Peyton nodded again sadly.

The Raven pilled into the dressing room, celebrating their win. "Hey guys," John said, "I was thinking of inviting that other captain, Ryan, to the party." "I don't know man, do you think he'll cause trouble?" his team mate asked. "He seems like a good guy."

Nathan smiled as he saw Haley waiting for him at the gym door. He hugged her and she sighed in his arms. "Thinking about that kid?" he guessed. "He looks so much like Jamie." Nathan nodded and looked her in the eyes. "But he can't be right?"

Haley nodded. "I know, it's just… there's something about him that I can't put my finger on." Nathan sighed. "I guess we just have to forget about it. It's easier that way" Haley nodded again and they walked to the car.

John walked out of the gym and looked for Ryan. He saw him by a car with a girl. She had a digital camera and was showing him some pictures. "Hey," John shouted at them. They turned around and looked at him. "I wanted to say thanks again. For helping me on the court. I know that it's hard to nice to the other team when the game gets competitive."

Ryan shrugged. "Like I said no problem. Oh, this is my sister Julie." John waved at her, smiling. "Do you guys want to come to this party we're having." Ryan frowned and Julie looked at him.

"Come on, what's the worse that could happen?" John asked. Ryan bit his lip and nodded. "Let's go," Julie said, "Where is it?"

"It's at our coach's house. His name is Nathan Scott."


	3. Chapter 3

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

Ryan and Julie stepped out of the car and looked up at the house in front of them. John met them and said, "Come on, you have to meet the rest of the team." He led them through the front door and into the house filled with basketball players, their parents and what looked liked the rest of the Tree Hill High student body.

The brother and sister stood nervously in the hallway. John had disappeared into the crowd. Ryan sighed. "Come on let's get out of here," he said. As they were about to leave a voice called, "RYAN, JULIE, WAIT!"

They turned and saw John pushing his way towards them…with the coach of the Ravens right behind them. "Hey. Ryan this Coach Scott. Coach Scott, meet the superstar player Ryan." Ryan blushed and looked up at the coach. He was looking at him strangely… like he was comparing him to someone. The look disappeared from his face and the coach held out his hand. Ryan shook the hand and then shoved his own into his pockets.

Nathan looked over at the girl. "Hello, who are you?" "Julie, I'm Ryan sister." Nathan nodded his head. "Will do me a big favour? My brother and his wife are preparing some food in the kitchen. Will you go and help them? It's probably a mess in there." Julie smiled, "No problem!"

She walked in the direction that he had pointed and stopped at the door. There were two people standing at the small island. They were laughing and placing food on plates. The man stopped laughing when he saw Julie standing at the door.

"Oh, hi. Coach Scott asked me to help you." The woman smiled. "Thank God, we are making a mess here. Oh, by the way, he prefers it when you call Nathan. Just like you can call me Peyton and my husband here Lucas." Julie smiled at Peyton's easy-going nature and Lucas's warm smile.

She walked over to the island and started to place food on plates.

Ryan watched Julie walk off and mentally smacked himself for ever coming to the party. He didn't belong with these people especially not with the Ravens. "Come on meet the team," Nathan said and started to walk towards the back yard. Ryan followed him, hoping not to get lost in the crowd.

He stepped out onto the back porch and stopped. He looked around and drank in every detail. The garden had a pool near the door and flowers around the edge of the hedges. Past the pool was a basketball court complete with both hoops and a set of benches.

He had been here before. He remembered that court and the pool with the basketball picture at the bottom. He remembered those flowers and the hedges.

But…but how had he been here before? He had just met Nathan Scott. Yet at the basketball game he had thought he had seen Nathan before. He also remembered Nathan's wife.

"Hey, are you all right?" Ryan snapped out of his thoughts. Nathan looked at him with concern. Ryan realized that he had been panting heavily. He nodded his head and slightly smiled. Nathan smiled back and walked towards the court. Ryan followed him and saw that a group of teenagers were playing with a basketball.

John jogged over to him and said, "Come on, meet the guys." Ryan smiled at the Ravens and they smiled back. They started to pass the ball around and before they knew it a game had started. Ryan was playing like he was one of the Ravens and the Ravens treated him like one of their own as well.

Somehow Nathan had ended up playing on the same team as Ryan and he couldn't help but laugh out loud with the boy. Nathan hadn't laughed properly since Jamie had disappeared. But the more time he spent with Ryan the happier Nathan was. For some unexplained reason, playing basketball with Ryan felt right.

It looked right too, as Haley found out. She had been looking around the house for Nathan when she walked out the back door. She smiled slightly at the sight of Nathan playing with his team. Then she saw him. The captain of the Warriors playing basketball with the Ravens. She heard Nathan laugh and she felt tears in her eyes. She hadn't heard Nathan laugh in a really long time. She didn't want to interrupt the wonderful scene before her. She sat on one of the lawn chairs and watched them play.

She looked at Nathan and tired to imagine that it was Jamie playing with him.

It wasn't that hard.

"Man you have some real skills," John's friend Kyle said. Ryan laughed, "Well you should see my sister. She's as good as me. Well, nearly," he teased.

Julie couldn't remember the last time she had had this much fun. Every time a new song came on over the stereo, she and Peyton would belt out the lyrics and if they didn't know them, they would make them up. Lucas would spin Peyton around and danced with her.

Then he surprised Julie by taking her hand and spinning her around the room. She laughed out loud. Carrie never did things like this with her and Ryan. Really they just had each other; Carrie was just an extra in their life. Lucas spun her faster and faster until they nearly collided with a table.

Julie giggled as Lucas bowed dramatically and took Peyton's hand again. Julie smiled at them but when she absentmindedly glanced at the photo frame that was on the table, her smile vanished. She picked up the photo frame and frowned at it.

"That's Jamie and Erica." Julie jumped and turned around to look at Lucas and Peyton. As she continued to stare Lucas explained, "Jamie is my brother's son and Erica is our daughter. They… they disappeared 14 years ago."

Julie put the picture back on the table with a shaky hand. "I have to go," she whispered.

Ryan looked up to see Julie running towards the court. "Hey Julie, come and show these guys how to really score a basket." Julie stopped at the edge of the court. "Ryan we really need to go," she said, her voice strained. Ryan shook his head. "Not before you get a basket," he said before throwing the ball into her arms.

She sighed and quickly threw the ball at the hoop. It went straight in and the Ravens looked at her in shock. "How did you score from that distance?" Nathan said. "Ryan we really, really need to go!" Julie begged. "Alright, alright!" Ryan sighed, waving goodbye to the Ravens.

They walked back to the car. "Why did you make me leave? I was having fun with those guys," Ryan asked. Julie turned around, looking at him in confusion. "They have a picture of us," she said. "What are you taking about?" Ryan asked.

"They have a picture of me and you when we were kids. Coach Scott's brother told me that the kids in that photo are Nathan's son and his daughter that disappeared 14 years ago!" Ryan looked at her in shock, no words able to come out of his mouth.

"Ryan I think we were kidnapped," Julie whispered.

If only they knew that someone was watching. That someone had gone to see Ryan play in his match as a 'surprise.' That someone had seen them leave the gym and followed them to the house.

If only they knew that someone was sitting in their car, finding out that her secret had been discovered.


	4. Chapter 4

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

The ride home was silent. Julie was biting her nails while Ryan was gripped the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white. She was worried about what Ryan would do. He had a temper but she had never seen him let it lose. She knew that he would never hurt her or anyone else but Carrie… He had never even yelled at her but after what she did, how could he just let it go. He wanted answers… and so did she.

They opened the door and slammed it shut. "Carrie?" Julie called. "Up in my room," she called. They walked up the stairs and opened the door of Carrie's room. A suitcase was on the bed and a handbag was on the vanity. Carrie stood at the end of the bed.

Ryan walked straight at her…and was suddenly facing down the end of a gun. Julie let out a short scream and pulled Ryan back. Stubbornly he remained in front of her, shielding her from Carrie and the gun.

Carrie smiled a wicked smile and said, "Julie be a dear and pack the clothes on the bed into the suitcase. Ryan could you please put my make-up in the bag as well." The teenagers remained were they were until Carrie's smile dropped and she said "Now." Julie slowly let go of Ryan's shoulders and walked over to the suitcase. Ryan swallowed the lump in his throat and started to put the make-up in the bag.

Carrie sat down on the chair beside the door the gun still trained on them. "You two have been very bad. Do you know how long it took me to get a new life for us? I'll just have to start all over." Julie's hands were shaking as she put the clothes in the case. "It took me months to get contacts and new names for us. Now I have to go back to those contacts and get whole new lives for us."

Julie zipped up the suitcase as Ryan placed the handbag beside it on the bed. Carrie stood up. "That's looks awfully heavy. Ryan, bring it downstairs for me."

Ryan grit his teeth and carried the bags downstairs. Julie walked down behind him, knowing that gun and the psycho carrying it was right behind them both. Ryan put the bags in the car and stood on the patio with Julie and Carrie. She stood in front of them holding the gun up.

Ryan looked around at the other houses. "_Come on, come on, someone look out the_ _window_!" he thought. Carrie smiled again and said, "Now while I'm gone I want you guys to stay away from the Scott's. I have a friend in Tree Hill who will keep an eye on them for this week to make sure you don't tell them."

Julie frowned at her. "Why did you take us?" Carrie smiled sadly at them both. "I knew that I was a better mother than those two and I'm not even going to mention your fathers! Please remember that you're my kids."

Ryan snarled at her, "You psycho son of-." "What have I told you about swearing?" Carrie said as she walked backwards towards the car, the gun still pointed at them. She got in the car and started the engine. As she was about to drive off she called, "Behave yourselves. I'm keeping an eye out, remember."

It wasn't until she had driven around the corner that Ryan grabbed his phone from his pocket. "Wait," Julie said. Ryan looked at her.

Julie was always the one to get out of tricky situations. He couldn't count the amount of times that she had got him out of detention.

"When you call the police, tell them that our mom had a nervous breakdown or something. Don't mention the kidnapping." Ryan nodded his head. "Your right. If Carrie finds out we called the police on her, who knows what she'll do."

It had been a strange night at the police station. Two kids had come in saying their mother had run away. They had spent a few hours answering questions and just as they were about to collapse from exhaustion, a social worker had come in saying that they had a place for them to stay.

"You two are very lucky. The woman you're going to stay with is one of the best and just had an opening. You both will be staying there. In the long term if you like it." The social worker babbled on as she drove but after a while she gave up. The boy and girl had been through a hard time and they were both exhausted.

Ryan leaned his head against the glass trying to rest, while Julie did the same on the other side of the car. "We're nearly there," the woman called from the front seat.

Julie nodded and saw a sign flash by. Suddenly she was wide awake and she shoved Ryan in the arm. "Ow, what was that for?" he asked grumpily.

"I think that sign said Tree Hill!" she said. Ryan clenched his teeth and grunted, "CRAP!" Julie leaned forward and asked the woman, "Excuse me? Do you know the name of the woman who we're staying with?"

The social worker smiled. "Oh yes, her name is Brooke Davis." Julie leaned back against the seat. "This cannot be happing," Ryan whispered.

Julie whispered back, "Calm down. What are the chances that Brooke Davis knows the Scott's?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Finding Home**

Hey people! I have just come back from a trip and I am so tired. Although it was fun I miss reading the stories on here and writing them of course. It feels so good to have my laptop back. So here's the next chapter.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

Brooke paced her living room floor for the hundredth time. She had never been so nervous about meeting foster children before.

When the agency had called her and asked if she would take in two teenagers she had her reservations. Then they had told her who they were.

There was something about the Warriors captain that was very familiar and when she had heard about his little sister she knew that she had to learn more.

There was a knock on the door and she nearly tripped over herself as she power walked to answer it. She smiled at the social worker and the two teenagers and let them in.

Brooke looked at the brother and sister. The boy was very good looking and was toned from playing basketball. He had brown hair with natural blonde highlights and light brown eyes. He stood in the living room looking around.

Brooke noticed a book sticking out of his back pocket. She read the title and she raised her eyebrows. '_A classic! Well at_ _least Lucas and Haley have something in common with him_,' she thought.

Then the boy crossed his arms and stood with his legs apart. Brooke shook her head in disbelief.

The boy stood just like Nathan.

She turned to look at the girl and a smile came to her face. The girl was gently bobbing her head and humming a song. As Brooke listened to her, she swore that the song was one of Peyton's favourites.

The girl was smaller than her brother, with light brown hair. She turned to look at Brooke and then turned back to her brother. Her eyes were a much darker brown, with long dark eyelashes to match.

Then the boy said something to his sister quietly and she grinned. Brooke's mouth dropped open slightly. The girl's smile was an exact copy of Lucas's.

Brooke shook these thoughts from her head and smiled at the social worker. She showed her to the door and when she shut it she smiled back at her new foster children.

"Hi, you two. I'm Brooke. I'm sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she comes back." The boy's eyes grew dark. "Don't be, she's not worth it," he said. The girl threw him a warning glance and she looked back at Brooke.

"Hey, I'm Julie and he's Ryan." Brooke nodded and said, "Here I'll show you to your rooms."

When Brooke showed Ryan his room and wished him goodnight, an incredibly warm smile came over his face and he said, "Goodnight and, Brooke, thank you for taking us in."

Brooke frowned and said, "Do you normally have weird mood swings?" Julie snorted and said, "Believe me, he can get much weirder." Ryan playfully shoved her and Brooke wished Ryan a goodnight before showing Julie her room.

The girl smiled at the decorations and the furniture in the room. She went to wardrobe and opened it. "What are these?" she asked. Brooke grinned.

"Those are all the names of the people that have stayed in this room. My friend Peyton used to live here with me before she moved in with her husband Lucas. She carved her name at the top. You can put yours there too, if you want." Julie smiled again and wished her goodnight. Brooke closed the door and went to her own room.

As she climbed into bed she couldn't help but wonder about the similarities between Ryan, Julie and her own friends. Once again she rid her head of those thoughts.

She had tried many times over the years to let go of Jamie and Erica but just like all the others, she couldn't let go of something that could still be there.

Ryan relaxed and rested his head on the pillow. It had been one hell of a day.

First he won a basketball match, made friends with the Ravens, found out he and his sister (or really his cousin) had been kidnapped, met his birth parents, had been held at gunpoint by a crazy lady and now he was in a house that belonged to a friend of his parents.

He looked up at the ceiling and put his hands behind his head. He had been Ryan his entire life but it had never felt right. When people called him by that name, it had always felt wrong. He wondered what his real name was. He bit his lip. Julie must know since she was the one to find out about the kidnapping.

Ryan got out of bed and crept down the hall. He had seen Brooke show Julie her room so he opened the right door. "Julie?" he whispered. "What?" she whispered back from the bed. "What's my name? My real name."

There was a pause and then she said, "Jamie. Jamie Scott. My real name is Erica." Ryan nodded and said, "That name suits you." "I know," she said. He smiled and closed the door.

As he got back into his own bed, he kept thinking the same thought over and over. "_Jamie. That's a good name. I like it_. _I like it a lot_." His eyes began to droop and he fell asleep.

_A four year old Jamie sat on the benches at the side of the river court. Nathan, Lucas and Skills were playing basketball. As he watched them he looked over at the baby beside him. She had a cute smile on her face and she was bouncing up and down on her mother's lap. _

"_Hey Jamie! Come out here and play a two on two game. I need a Scott on my team," Skills called. Jamie shook his head. "I'm fine Uncle Skills; I'm looking after Baby Scott." Haley laughed. "Jamie, honey, I think me and Auntie Peyton can look after Erica." Jamie bit his lip and then jumped off of his seat. _

_He kissed Erica on the head and said, "Watch me play Baby Scott!" He ran over and grabbed the basketball._

Ryan woke up and grinned at the memory of his dream. He got dressed and when he opened the door he saw Julie coming out of her room. "Morning Baby Scott," he whispered. Julie frowned at him and then a smile came over her face. "Better not let anyone hear you call me that," she said.

They walked into the kitchen and saw Brooke making breakfast in her pyjamas. "Here, let us help you," Ryan offered. Brooke was about to refuse when Julie interrupted. "It's the least we could do. We usually make our own breakfast anyway." Soon the three of them were making pancakes and making a complete mess.

Brooke smiled at the brother and sister. They constantly teased each other but they cared for each other at the same time.

As the two teenagers ate their home made pancakes Brooke walked to her room to get changed.

As she walked past Julie's room she looked in to see the wardrobe door open. "Has she signed her name already?" Brooke mumbled to herself. She looked at the door and gasped.

Julie had signed her name but it was in sharp edgy lettering. She had carved flames surrounding her name and in the flames, Brooke could see a guitar and old records. Brooke hadn't seen this type of artwork, since…since…well since Peyton.

Brooke sighed and walked back to the door of the kitchen. She watched her new foster children.

Julie was very much like Lucas and she had a talent of drawing as well. As for Ryan, well, she had never met anyone with such a resemblance to Nathan and if he was reading books like the one she had seen the he obviously had a brain like Haley. Ryan also had seriously amazing basketball skills. Brooke didn't have to ask to know that Julie was probably just as good at the sport as her brother.

Maybe taking them in was a mistake. Maybe it would just lead to trouble. They were too much like the Scott's. It was unfair that Nathan, Haley, Lucas and Peyton had to be teased like that. "_Oh well, to late to go back now_."

There was another knock at the door and Brooke walked over to answer it. Ryan and Julie looked up.

They both gasped when they saw the Scott's at the door. Ryan sighed and whispered, "Crap."

**A/N**: I want Ryan and Julie to go to Tree Hill High School but I would like to know about the school year.

Could someone tell me about the school year, like how it's broken up or some things like that?

If someone could do that, I think it would make this story better and make it easier for me write about school events that Ryan and Julie go to.


	6. Chapter 6

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**A/N**: Ok so the beginning of this chapter starts at the beginning of the day from the Scott's point of view.

_Peyton carried the sleeping baby upstairs, careful not to wake her. She opened the door to Nathan and Haley's room and saw Jamie asleep on the bed. She smiled and placed Erica beside him. They looked so cute together. _

_She went downstairs and joined the adults. Haley looked up at her, "Are they ok?" Peyton nodded. She sat down beside Lucas and Nathan handed her a glass of wine. _

_After an hour Peyton went upstairs to check on the two little cousins. She peeked into the room and saw…nobody. _

_The two children weren't on the bed. She checked the other rooms looking for them. With each empty room, the panic started to rise. _

_She ran down the stairs and went past the sitting room's closed door into the kitchen. Then she saw it. _

_The back door to the house was slightly ajar. The view of it was blocked by a wall so you couldn't see it from the sitting room. _

_There was a piece of paper stuck to the door frame. She grabbed it. It had two words on it. _

_BYE BYE. _

_Peyton let the paper drift to the ground before letting out a bone-chilling scream. _

"_LUCAS!" _

Peyton woke up in a sweat, panting. She looked around at the room. Lucas was beside her in the bed asleep. She was in her own house with her husband. Not in Nathan and Haley's fourteen years in the past.

Lucas stirred and mumbled in his sleep. Peyton sighed and lay back down. She had been having that same nightmare for years. Back when she blamed herself, she would have it every night, but now it was only now and again.

The police had got nothing from the note. They said that who ever took Jamie and Erica had snuck in through the back door, sneaked passed the sitting room and had taking the children using the same route. The view to the back door was blocked and the sitting room door was closed. The four adults had no idea.

No ransom note came so the police asked if anyone had taken an unhealthy interest in Jamie or Erica. They immediately said Carrie. But Carrie had an alibi for that night. She was having dinner with friends. **(A/N: She got some else to do it.)**

After that the case went dry. There was nothing. It was like these kids had vanished. It was a huge news story back then. The Scott's became well known and every year at the time of the disappearances, reporters would come and ask for an interview. They were still doing it.

In fact, the Scott's had an interview with a newspaper in a few weeks. Peyton knew how it would go. Lucas would do the talking but if anyone asked about having other children he would close up. She herself would have a nightmare that nightmare that night that was worse than before. Haley would get depressed and Nathan would just close up completely.

That was how they dealt with it.

Haley brushed her hair again and turned to look at her husband. Nathan pulled on his shirt and smiled at her. The marriage problems that they had gone through were long gone.

They both reacted to the disappearances differently. In the beginning they had stayed away from each other. But now they knew that the way to get over it was only if they were together. Nathan would pull Haley from the depression and Haley would help Nathan open up.

They were going to Brooke's to see the new foster children and Haley didn't want to admit it but she was excited. She wanted to meet the Warriors captain and his sister. She wanted to talk to them and spend time with them. Little did she know that the other three were thinking the exact same thing.

**-Brooke's house-**

"Crap," Ryan said. Julie bit her lip and looked at him. "Hey guys come in," Brooke said. Haley looked over at the two children and smiled. They looked so worried.

Haley walked over and said, "Hi I'm Haley, Nathan's wife. I don't think we've met." Julie smiled at her and shook hands. Ryan just stared.

This was his mother, his real mother. When he was small he remembered someone reading him bedtime stories, stroking his hair and even singing to him. He always thought that it was Carrie. But now he knew it was her. The little kid in him wanted to run and hug her and for her to stroke his hair and sing to him again. But the 18 year old in him made him smile and shake her hand.

By the time Ryan and Julie had finished showering and got dressed, two more adults had joined the group in the sitting room. Brooke pointed to the two men and said, "Ryan, Julie meet Skills and Mouth." Julie smiled and replied, "Cool names." Mouth nodded and asked, "Do you have any nicknames?" Julie thought about what Ryan had called her that morning and shook her head.

They had decided to go out for the day. Go to the park, have some lunch, play some basketball. Then they had started talking to Ryan and Julie and found that they couldn't stop. Nathan, Lucas and Skills talked about their days as Raven's players and Brooke, Haley and Peyton talked about cheerleading. Mouth told them all about the games that he had commentated on. They talked for hours.

"We hated each other in the beginning you know," Nathan said, pointing at Lucas. Ryan laughed. In the time that he spent with them he had never met to brothers that were closer than Nathan and Lucas. The idea that they once hated each other was just plain laughable.

Lucas nodded and said, "It's true. It's all thanks to Dan." Julie frowned. "Who's Dan?" Nathan rubbed the back of his neck and explained, "Dan is mine and Lucas's father. He ignored Lucas and pushed me to the extreme with basketball. Let's just say he wouldn't get our vote for father of the year."

The subject was quickly changed and the talk started again. Brooke realised the time and smiled. They had spent most of the day just talking to the two teenagers. She, Ryan and Julie then made a dinner that could have fed a hundred people.

**-After dinner-**

Haley pilled the dishes into the dishwasher and Brooke came in with another pile of plates. Haley laughed and asked, "How much did we eat?" Brooke just shrugged her shoulders and put the plates on the worktop. She looked over at the group of people in the sitting room. "I'm so glad that Ryan and Julie are getting along with you guys."

Haley nodded and asked, "What are they talking about now?" Brooke smiled and replied, "Ryan is just teasing Nathan for purposely playing crap in the championship game and Nathan arguing that it was only the first half."

Haley frowned. Hadn't she once said that Jamie would do that? She shook the thought away and closed the dishwasher.

Julie watched as Lucas told them about the championship game. She remembered how jealous she was when the other girls in her class would get their dads to pick them up from school. She wanted more anything to have a dad that would pick her up and spin her around. As she got older she wanted a dad to depend on and to love. Now she had one.

Problem was he didn't know that.

**-The next morning-**

Ryan was woken up by Julie shaking him. "What?" he asked. Julie whispered, "Come on, you have to see this." The two of them walked into the sitting room and saw that all the adults were still there.

Lucas and Peyton had fallen asleep on the couch with Nathan and Haley asleep at the other end. Brooke and Mouth were asleep on each chair and somehow Skills had fallen asleep on the floor with his head resting on Brooke's chair. There was about three bottles of wine on the table.

After breakfast all the adults left and Brooke went to take a shower. Ryan and Julie were in the kitchen cleaning up. "We can't just ignore them," Ryan said. "They're our real family."

Julie shook her head. "Carrie is watching us. I don't even want to think about what she would do if we told anyone who we really were."

Then it came to him. "They didn't do anything," he said. Julie looked at him in confusion. "What?" she asked. "Lucas and Peyton. They didn't do anything to Carrie." Julie was still confused. "Think about it. Carrie was attached to me not you. The reason she took you must have been personal. She took you just to cause pain to the Scott's."

Julie smiled. "So if we did become close to the Scott's…" "Then Carrie would come here herself and sort it out. It's personal for her," Ryan finished. "Then we can call the police and it's goodbye Crazy Bitch," Julie said.

Ryan smiled and put the last plate away. He turned back to Julie. "It gives us the perfect excuse to get to know our family." Julie dried her hands and sighed. "But first we've got a bigger problem. We have to start school at Tree Hill High."

**A/N**: Question for you guys, when did Haley say that Jamie would tease Nathan for playing badly?


	7. Chapter 7

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**A giant well done to everyone who got my question right! Yes it was at the championship game. If I had them you guys would all get gold medals. Oh and thanks to the three reviewers who told me about the school year. Hope you guys like the new chapter.**

Ryan shifted his school bag back on his shoulder and dodged another student in the hallway. He looked at his scuduale and looked around for his homeroom.

"Hey, hey! Ryan!" a voice called. Ryan turned and grinned at the familiar face. John jogged up to him, people hurrying out of his way. "Hey welcome to Tree Hill High School," he said proudly.

Ryan watched as random people slapped John on the back and high fived him. John was defiantly a somebody around Tree Hill High.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see a familiar face," Ryan joked. John took his scuduale from him and looked through the classes. "Nice! We have most of the same classes and the same homeroom," John said.

The boys walked into their homeroom and John sat down in his seat while Ryan talked to the teacher. Most of the other Ravens were in the same homeroom and they all sat near John.

"Hey, who's the new kid?" Rick, a Raven, asked. John frowned and then smiled. "Oh ya, you weren't at Coach Scott's house after the game. His name's Ryan and he used to be the captain for the Warriors. But I guess he's a Raven now that he goes here."

Kyle and John victory high fived. Not only were they one of the best teams out there but now they had one of the best players. Rick frowned. "Isn't he the kid whose mom went crazy and now he is staying with Brooke Davis?"

"How'd you know that?" Ryan asked.

The boys jumped and John said, "Dude, don't sneak up on people!" John ordered.

Ryan turned back to Rick and said "How'd you know that?" he asked again. Rick shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"Well…this is a small town and you're kind of big news," he said. Ryan sat down in the seat in front of John. "…and why am I big news?" John sighed. "It's just that…Coach Scott's missing son and niece are the exact same age as you and your sister. Also people have noticed the similarities between you and Coach Scott as well as Julie and Lucas Scott."

Ryan blinked at him and the other boys. "Wow. News travels fast." Kyle clapped his hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Don't worry. You guys will be old news soon. Some people think it's a little creepy."

Ryan nodded and tuned back to John. "How do you know these 'similarities' between me and Jamie?" John smiled sadly. "Jaime Scott and I were best friends when we were kids."

Ryan looked him frowning. He actually wasn't surprised. He and John were getting along really well. Of course they got along when they were kids!

**-After class-**

Julie laughed as she put her book in her locker. "I'm serious! I fell flat on my face!" Tyler said.

Julie had just met Tyler in her first class and they had instantly clicked. He had a badge on his bag of one of her favourite bands and when she mentioned it, they had talked for ages about the band's songs and concerts.

Julie put another notebook into her locker and shut it. Then someone screamed right in her ear. Julie turned around and saw a blonde girl scream loudly. The girl's hair was trapped in Julie's locker.

Julie gasped and quickly put in her combination. The girl pulled out her hair as soon as the locker opened. She turned around and glared at Julie. "I'm SO sorry," Julie said.

"What was that for?" the girl shouted at her. Julie frowned. "It's not like I meant to do it. You were probably leaning near my locker." The girl turned red, proving Julie point.

Tyler laughed at the girl's face. "Just because your hair is flat doesn't mean that you have to take it out on mine," the girl said, smirking. By now a large group of students were watching them.

Julie frowned again and said, "Ok I'm sorry about your hair but…" Then the girl slapped her across her face. Tyler gasped and shouted "What is wrong with you?"

Julie rubbed her stinging cheek. "Here's a tip: If you want to hurt someone don't use your palm, use you fist." To demonstrate, she slammed her own fist into the girl's nose. The girl fell on the ground screaming.

Before Julie could do any more damage, Tyler grabbed her by the waist and pulled her away from the girl. "What is going on here?" a voice shouted.

Julie turned to see a tall man pushing though the crowd. "Who's that?" Julie whispered to Tyler. "Principal Morello," his whispered back. Principal Morella looked from Julie and Tyler to the girl.

He sighed and told the girl's friends to bring her to the nurse. Then he turned to Julie. "Go to my office. You are in serious trouble."

Julie sat in the office chewing her lip. How many times had she got Ryan out this sort of situation? Difference was, this time, neither of them had done anything wrong. Tyler had said that the girl was a freshman like them and she was getting ready to become a Ravens cheerleader. Now that was going to have to be put back since Julie broke her nose. Tyler couldn't resist but high five her before she had to go to the principal's office.

Principal Morella sat down in his seat and sighed. "Your guardian will be here soon and then we can talk about what just happened." At that moment Brooke walked into the office and shut the door behind her. "Whatever happened I sure Julie was completely innocent."

She turned to Julie and asked, "What didn't you do?" "Broke a girl's nose because she insulted and slapped me," she said back. Brooke nodded. "Oh. Nice one!" Principal Morello cleared his throat. If you don't mind we do need to discuss Julie's punishment." Brooke nodded again.

**-After school-**

Julie sat on the bleachers watching her brother. He had been made tryout for the basketball game even though the players and Coach Scott knew he was good enough.

Ryan finished and walked over to the other boys and Nathan. She stood up and walked across the gym.

Kyle spotted her and nudged the other boys. "Hey Julie! I heard you punched the school slut." Ryan turned around and looked at her in disappointment. "You didn't?" he said.

"She was annoying me! She slapped me!" Julie exclaimed. "I thought I told you this when you were seven. You don't hit people!" he said. "I didn't hit a person; I hit a plastic Barbie doll!"

The boys laughed at the entertaining argument that was going on before them. Nathan on the other hand was looking at them sadly. It was obvious that Ryan was used to disciplining Julie. He probably raised her by himself. He watched as Julie told Ryan the full story. Ryan nodded and bit back a smile. Julie obviously cared very much about Ryan's option.

As Nathan walked off, Ryan sighed and said, "Alright, alright! I'm not mad at you. What punishment did you get?" "Detention for two weeks and I'm grounded for a week starting tomorrow," Julie said.

John spoke up, "Come on Ryan have a shower and we can all go to the river court." "What's the river court?" Julie asked. "A place that the famous Scott brothers used to hang out. Maybe you two can have a one-on-one game and Julie can show us how to kick your ass," Kyle teased.

The boys walked off and Julie turned to Ryan. "You're going to be so embarrassed when I beat you," she said. Ryan smiled down at her. "In your dreams Baby Scott."

**-River Court-**

The brother and sister got out of the car and walked down to the court. The Ravens were there shooting hoops and other people were sitting down on the bleachers and on the grass.

A girl ran up to them and smiled, "Let me guess, Ryan and Julie right?" They nodded and she led them over to where John, Kyle and the other boys were playing. "Hey guys I see you've met Emily," John said. Emily smiled at them happily.

John threw the basketball to Julie, who caught it. "Time for that one-on-one game." Julie smiled and Ryan took off his jacket. He threw it on the seat and the walked onto the court.

Kyle sat down beside Rick and said, "Well this will be interesting! Brother verses sister." Rick looked over at the two people on the court. "I'm putting my money on Julie," he said. "I'll take that bet," Kyle replied.

**A/N**: So please tell me what you think about John, Kyle, Rick, Emily and Tyler. Who do want to see more of?


	8. Chapter 8

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

Julie threw the ball to John and stood facing Ryan. "Alright, this is a strictly one-on-one game, all rules apply, first to 20 points wins," John said. He threw the ball in the air and the game began.

The crowd cheered and clapped, no one knowing which one they were cheering and clapping for. The brother and sister were evenly matched but Ryan used his extra height to his advantage. They were point for point until Ryan edged ahead.

**Mouth's POV**

Mouth walked towards the court and smiled as he saw the game. Even after all these years the river court was still a good place to play and have fun. As he got closer he saw that the two kids playing were Ryan and Julie, Brook's foster children. He stood and watched as they played.

"Come on Ryan one more basket!" John shouted. Mouth watched as Ryan stole the ball and dribbled it up the court, with Julie running after him. Ryan jumped lazily and was about put the ball in the basket. Then Julie jumped up and slammed the ball off the backboard.

The crowd cheered as the ball bounced away. Mouth stood there frowning. He remembered that move. Lucas had done it against Nathan in their first one-on-one game. He never forgot it. Now years later Julie had done the exact same move. That's one hell of a coincidence. He turned and walked away. Maybe it was time to call in a few favours and find out more about Ryan and Julie…

**Normal POV**

Finally, when they were tied, Ryan scored the final basket. The bleachers erupted with cheering and Julie clapped her brother on the back.

**-A while later-**

Ryan and Julie sat on the bleachers, their feet propped up on the seats in front of them. Everyone else had left a few minutes ago and it was just the two of them.

Julie sighed and said "I hate this. We shouldn't be lying and pretending. You should be living with Nathan and Haley and I should be living with Lucas and Peyton. You and John should be best friends and we should have been growing up in Tree Hill since we were born."

Ryan nodded and replied, "One good thing did come out of this though." "What's that then," she asked. "Do you think we would be this close if we grew up as cousins and not siblings," he said. Julie smiled and agreed.

"Don't worry Baby Scott, we'll have our family back in no time," Ryan said. Then they heard a gasp from the side of the bleachers. They turned and saw John standing there.

**John's POV**

Right after John had left he remembered that he had forgotten to ask Ryan to come to a party that weekend. He had walked back down to the court and saw the siblings talking. He smiled and was about to talk when he heard Ryan say "Don't worry Baby Scott; we'll have our family back in no time." He gasped and they looked straight at him.

**Normal POV**

Ryan stood up and got off the bleachers. "John how much of that-." John tackled him to the ground and grabbed his shirt in his fists.

Julie was about to help when Ryan said, "Julie stay right there! Don't get in the middle of this!" Ryan looked up at John.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to replace Jamie and Erica?" Before Ryan could say anything John continued. "You called her Baby Scott! Jamie called Erica that because he couldn't pronounce her name. Why are you here?"

"John we're not trying to replace anyone!" Julie said. "She's right John," Ryan said.

"You're trying to replace Jamie, Ryan! It's creepy and wrong!"

"I'm not replacing Jamie!"

"Why are you replacing Jamie?"

"I can't replace Jamie"

"Why?"

"I AM JAMIE!"

John's grip on Ryan's shirt loosened. Before he could say anything Ryan talked in a quiet voice. "Our mother who went crazy isn't our mother. Her name is Carrie and she was the main suspect in mine and Erica's kidnappings. She had a fake alibi. She really did take us and she told us that she was our mother. We we're only kids so we believed her."

John looked from Ryan to Julie and back to Ryan. "Think about it John. All the similarities between Jamie and Ryan. The similarities between me and Lucas. You know we're telling the truth," Julie said softly.

John looked at Ryan and then stood up. He held out his hand and Ryan took it and pulled himself up. "You really are Jamie," John said. Ryan nodded. John stood there for a few minutes in silence.

Then he gave a small smile and said, "It's good to have you back man." Ryan smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

John turned to Julie and said, "So you're little Erica Scott, huh?" Julie's smile dropped and she said, "Dude, I'm not that short so drop the little before I kick your 5"10 ass."

John laughed nervously and turned to Ryan. "Drop the little," he advised. John turned back to Julie and said, "Dropping the little."

The three of them sat down on the bleachers and Julie dusted the dirt of Ryan's back for him. "Sorry about that man, but I was surprised," John said. Ryan replied, "No problem. But we do have to ask you for a favour." "What is it?" he asked. "You can't tell anyone about us," Ryan said.

John frowned. "Why not?" he asked. "We're setting a trap for Carrie. She'll come to Tree Hill herself if we become close to the Scott's but if they find out before that then our parents will call the cops and she'll be scared off," Julie explained. "I don't understand, why would you ever want to see that women again?"

"We need our revenge John. We need to see her behind bars. She was never a good mother. Julie and I practically raised each other. We need to see her broken and down just like we used to be."

John thought about this. He did understand and if Ryan and Julie needed his help then he would help them anyway he could. He nodded his head and promised to keep the secret.

**-Brooke's house-**

"Hey, we're home," Julie called. Ryan walked over and sat on the couch, turning on the TV. Julie walked up the stairs and into Brooke's study. Sheets and sketches were littered on the floor, the chairs and the table that Brooke was sitting at. "Hey how was the river court?" Brooke asked. "…Eventful," Julie said slowly. "I've had some really good times there," Brooke sighed.

"But remember that you're grounded starting tomorrow," she said. "Yes, I know. I still can't believe I only got two weeks detention. Usually for fighting you get more."

Brooke raised one eyebrow. "So you're an expert in school punishment are you?" "Only because Ryan gets in so much trouble."

"Uh-uh of course," Brooke said dryly. Then her eye started to shine and she bit her lip. "It helps that Owen is a very understanding man."

Julie frowned. Wasn't Principal Morello's first name, Owen? Julie gasped. "That's how I got off so lightly. You're dating him!" "No, no we just met today! We're just friends!"

"Uh-uh, of course," Julie quoted, matching Brooke's tone exactly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**It's about time I thanked my regular reviewers. You guys usually review and that's a big help to me. You always give me feedback which I love. Thanks to every one else who reviews too. You guys are great! I have another One Tree Hill history question for you as well at the bottom of the page.**

Nathan sat at the breakfast table reading though his notes from the last practise. Haley placed a bowl of cereal on the table and sat beside her husband. She looked at the amount of pages as she sipped her juice.

"Wow, with that many notes you must be busy," she said. Nathan smiled. "Not really but since Ryan joined the team I have had to move a few players around. As well as that, him, John, Kyle and Rick work really well together so I have a lot more ideas for plays."

Haley smiled. "It's nice that he's made friends so easily. He's also very good at English. He loves all the classic books. I could talk to him for hours about them." Haley looked at the notes again.

"So is he as good as I hear he is?" she asked. Nathan grinned. "At the beginning of the year I had a hope that we would win the championship. Now that Ryan's here…I'd put money on it." Haley smiled at Nathan's happiness.

She finished her cereal and put the bowl in the dishwasher. She looked out the window at the back garden. "Nathan, with all these new plays, you must be driving the boys really hard." Nathan nodded.

"Well maybe they could use a break. Why don't we give them a barbecue? This weekend." Nathan smiled again. "That's perfect. I'll tell them at practise."

**-At the party- **

Julie sighed and tried once again to put her necklace on. "Stupid small clasp…" she muttered. She heard a little laugh behind her. She turned and saw Peyton standing in the doorway of Nathan and Haley's room.

"Haley let me borrow a necklace because she said it went with my dress but I can't get the stupid thing on," Julie explained.

Peyton walked over and took the necklace from her. Then she stood behind Julie and fastened the necklace for her. The two of them walked over to the mirror and Julie smiled. "Thanks," she said as she stared at the reflection. Peyton tucked a stand of her hair behind her ear and replied, "No problem."

Tyler walked into the back garden of the Scott's home and looked around for Julie. Nathan had invited the Ravens who were welcomed to invite any friends. Julie was invited and in turn so had Tyler.

Tyler looked over at the basketball court and saw that most of the Ravens were there. They were practicing a new play and they were having trouble. Tyler frowned and watched them pass the ball to one another.

"Hey aren't you Julie's friend?" Ryan called. Tyler nodded. "Umm…" he said. Kyle frowned and asked, "What?" "Well it's none of my business but if you," he pointed to Rick, "and you," he pointed to John, "switched places you could probably nail that play."

They all looked at him in confusion and then Ryan said, "Alright…let's do that again but this time you guys switch places." They ran the play again and with Tyler's advice it actually worked.

The Ravens walked back over to Tyler and Ryan clapped him on the back. "Nice work kid." "Tyler," he corrected. "Tyler then," Ryan said. "You've got a knack for plays. We'll have to introduce you to Coach Scott," Rick said.

"But to let you know I'm not going to go easy on you just because you helped us," Ryan said. Tyler frowned. "You and my sister? You like Julie don't you Tyler?" Ryan said with a grin. Tyler blushed and stammered.

"Dude calm down I'm going to hurt you because you like her," Ryan said. Tyler relaxed and smiled.

"But if you do ask her out and you do something that hurts her in anyway, I will kick you so hard that you will be coughing things up that you ate five years ago," Ryan threatened. "We'll make you cry till you run out of tears and curl up in a little ball," John threatened, speaking for all the Ravens.

Tyler swallowed and said, "Don't worry I have no intention of hurting Julie. Plus if I ever did she would probably hurt me just as much as you guys." Ryan laughed and replied, "That's true. Have fun at the party." With that the Ravens walked back to the court.

Tyler shook his head in disbelief and felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Her turned and saw Julie wearing a white dress with low heels and her hair down around her shoulders.

He stared at her and Julie waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello Tyler, are you all right?" she asked. "Yes I'm just waiting for my brain to start working again," he said.

Julie laughed and she pulled him towards the barbecue. They grabbed a plate each and started to fill them.

"I thought you only had one brother," Tyler said. "I do," Julie said frowning at him. "Really? To me it seems like you have a whole basketball team of big brothers," he joked.

Julie's eyes grew wide and she said, "They didn't?" Tyler nodded and replied, "Don't worry I think it's cool how much they care about you."

Ryan threw the ball up and it went straight through the net. "Yes two points," he yelled. He ran after the ball that had bounced off the court and towards a table. The man sitting there picked up the ball and waited for Ryan to come up. "Can I've the ball back?" he asked.

"Message from Carrie," the man said plainly. Ryan looked at the man and nodded for him to continue. "She says stay away from the Scott's and to remember who you're family are."

Ryan grabbed the basketball back and looked the man straight in the eye. "Tell Carrie this. I'm not leaving the Scott's and neither is Julie. We know exactly who are family are and if she has a problem with that then she can come and talk to me herself." With that he turned and walked back to the court.

"What was that all about?" Kyle asked. "Just an old friend of my mom's. Don't know why he's here or how he got into the party but I'm going to make sure he leaves," Ryan said, making eye contact with John so he would get the message.

John nodded and the two boys followed the man as he walked though the house. They watched as he walked out the front door and climbed into his car. They kept their eyes on him until he turned the corner.

Ryan smiled. "This is good. This means she's getting mad." The boys walked back into the house and were about to walk back to the court when Haley shouted, "Ryan, come here and get some food! I don't want you to starve yourself. You too, John!"

John smirked and whispered, "Even when she doesn't know she's your mom, she acts like your mom." Ryan smiled and they walked over to the barbecue.

Julie ran her finger over the row of books on a bookshelf in the living room. "Looking for something?" a voice asked. She turned and saw Lucas standing behind her. "Nathan said that he had a copy of your book so I was just trying to find it," she said.

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "You read my book," he asked. "Actually it's one of my favourites. I love how you and your brother were raised to hate each other but in the end you became a family."

Lucas nodded and replied, "The bond between family members is very important." "That's true, but sometimes people do such bad things that you can't forgive them," Julie said. Lucas looked at her frowning.

"Our mom never did anything to hurt us but she was…distant…cold. Ryan and I practically raised each other, like it was just the two of us." "What about your dad?" he asked. "Mine left awhile ago and so did Ryan's. We have different dads. We're half siblings," she lied.

Lucas smiled and said, "Like me and Nathan." Julie nodded and continued, "Our mom must have a type because they were both alike. Both funny and kind, they loved family. The only reason they left was because after mom got pregnant both times she broke up with them without telling them about us."

Lucas was glad that she trusted him to tell him this but at the same time he couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. He knew having just one parent wasn't easy. "So you're dad doesn't even know you exist?" he asked.

Julie looked at him and replied, "Let's just say, I could right in front of my dad and he wouldn't have a clue who I am." Lucas sighed put an arm around Julie's shoulder.

"Thanks for listening Lucas," she said. "It's no problem," he said truthfully.

**-After the party-**

Haley picked up another paper plate and dropped it in the bin. Everyone had gone home but Brooke, Ryan and Julie had insisted on helping. Nathan and Ryan ran into the sitting room dribbling the basketball.

"Hey not in the house!" she said. Nathan and Ryan stopped and looked at her. They pretended to pout and said at the same time, "Sorry Haley." Haley looked at them and said, "Don't do that that. It freaks me out!" Nathan smiled and went out to clean the barbecue.

Ryan put the basketball on the couch and picked up the glasses off the coffee table in the sitting room. He brought them to the sink and then helped Haley to clean down the island in the kitchen.

Someone had brought in a bunch of small white flowers from outside. Ryan picked one up and handed it to Haley. "Thanks for the party Haley," he said. Haley smiled.

He pointed to the flower and joked, "You can't say I never gave you anything." With that small smile on his face, Haley would swear that Nathan could have been standing in front of her. "Where do you want these?" called Brooke, her arms full of plates. Ryan walked over and took the plates from her and Haley shook all her thoughts away. "You ok Haley?" Brooke asked. Haley just smiled and nodded.

**A/N**: What did Nathan give Haley when he said, "Don't say I never gave you anything," in Season 1?


	10. Chapter 10

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Ok so first well done to everyone who got my question right. You guys are great! **

**This chapter is from Haley's point of view and how she's feeling about having Ryan and Julie in Tree Hill, mostly her thoughts about Ryan. **

Haley stacked a graded paper on top of the pile and grabbed another one to grade. Normally it was boring but her students were the best at creative writing. There was never a dull paper to grade.

Especially Ryan's papers. He always had a twist in plot up his sleeve and each paper was different. The only thing that each paper had in common was that one character always had a big secret. She was going to have to talk to him about that. He needed to keep his stories original.

There was a knock at the door and Haley said, "Come in." Miss West, the guidance councillor opened the door and smiled.

"Hey Jen, how are you?" "I'm great, Haley but I'm a little tired. I didn't realize that weddings take so much planning," Jen said, fingering the engagement ring.

"Well it'll be worth it when you see that guy of yours at the alter and you hear the words, "Presenting Mrs and Mrs Peter Collins," Haley said smiling.

Jen placed a sheet of paper on Haley's desk. "This is a paper that Ryan wrote. I think you might like reading it."

Ryan and Julie had been going to the guidance councillor so that they could talk about their mother. They never showed any pity or fondness to their mother but that was to be expected.

Haley picked up the paper and started reading it.

_Name the person/people that you admire the most and why?_

_Ok so this is a hard one. Growing up I never really had hero. My friends say that they look up to their mom and dad but come on! I don't know my dad and why would I look up to my mom. But now…things are different. _

_I look up to Coach Scott. He had the chance to go back to the NBA but he stayed coaching us Ravens. We can't thank him enough for that. I look up to Lucas Scott because he's a good person who never gives up on his dreams. I look up to Peyton because she never backs down and she always stands up for herself. I look up to Julie because our mom has thrown a lot of crap at us over the years but she never lets it affect her. _

_Most of all I look up to Mrs Scott. She's one of the strongest people I know. She's one of the best teachers and adults I've ever met and she always has time to listen to me. _

_My mom isn't my favourite person in the world and sometimes I wish she wasn't my mom. _

_If I could choose my mom then, without a doubt, I would choose Haley James Scott. _

Haley took a deep breath and tried to stop the tears from falling. This was one of the most beautiful things she had ever read. "If you think what he wrote insults Jamie's memory then I can get Ryan to apologise," Jen said.

Haley shook her head and replied, "No, don't. Nothing Ryan wrote here insults Jamie. Thank you for letting me read it."

**-After school-**

Haley dropped her keys on the hall table and walked into the kitchen. "Hey Haley," Ryan called as he picked up the basketball from the living room floor and ran back outside. "Hi," Haley said.

She looked down at the floor and saw muddy footprints from Ryan's shoes. She looked out the patio door and saw Ryan, Julie and Nathan playing basketball on the court.

Haley groaned, "Jamie, why can't you wipe your feet!" She opened her mouth to call him when she stopped. She realized what she had just said…what she had just called Ryan.

She sat down on the armrest of the couch and sighed. She just called Brooke's foster son Jamie.

She sat there for a few minutes but then stood up. That was a mistake, just a simple mistake. She just had to forget about it. Ryan wasn't her son, simple as that.

**-2 months later- **

Haley picked up Ryan's jacket and laid it across the back of the couch. Ryan and Julie's things were scatted around the house and also around Lucas and Peyton's house.

The teenagers refused at first to let any of the adults buy them anything. But they had worn both of them down and soon the kids had new wardrobes and new things. When

Haley had seen that Ryan and Julie hardly had anything with them she felt a pang of anger. How could their mother just take them for granted? Ryan and Julie were two of them most wonderful children she had ever met. How could any mother treat her children like that? Haley shook the angry thoughts from her head and announced that they were all going shopping.

It was fun until the girls saw a shop that they just had to go into. They tried on nearly everything in the shop while the guys slouched on the couch outside the changing rooms and complained.

The girls told them later, back at Nathan and Haley's house, that they never wanted to buy anything they just wanted to tease the guys. This had resulted in very long water fight.

Ryan and Julie couldn't stop thanking the adults enough for their generosity.

After these few months, Ryan and Julie had got into the habit of walking right into Nathan and Haley's house and treating it like they lived there. It was the same with Lucas and Peyton's. Haley loved it. These two teenagers had brought energy and true happiness back into all their lives.

Right now Ryan was sitting on the couch, Julie was sitting on a beanbag and Nathan was sitting on the chair. Haley pressed a button on the remote and sat beside Ryan.

Brooke had had to go the city for the night to talk to some of her employees about the new line and although Ryan and Julie could look after themselves, they had jumped at the chance to spend the night at Nathan and Haley's house.

**-5 hours later-**

Nathan snorted and rolled over in the chair and Julie yawned from her place on the beanbag. Ryan was stretched over the couch with his head on Haley's lap.

They had spent hours watching movies and the three of them had fallen asleep. But not Haley.

She was wide awake stroking Ryan's hair. She had taken her hand away a few minutes ago but he had frowned in his sleep and started to mumble. So Haley put her hand back and continued to stroke his hair.

He might have been 18 years old but in that moment he was just a little kid. A little kid who had never been shown any kindness or love from his mother. A little kid who wanted to be loved. Haley didn't know much about Ryan's life before he came to Tree Hill but she did know one thing.

She was beginning to love Ryan like he was her own son.

She didn't know wither it was a bad thing or a good thing but right now she couldn't help but care deeply about the boy in front of her.

**Ok so I really wanted Ryan and Julie to feel at home with Nathan and Haley and now Haley's thinking of Ryan as her son. I think that's called mother's intuition. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**I'm so happy right now because my school's off for a four day weekend! The school's closed for St Patrick's Day. I love St Patrick's Day!**

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" Peyton asked. She sat in the driver seat with Julie on the passenger side.

This morning she had got a call from Principal Morello asking could come and pick up Ryan and Julie. Brooke was still in the city and she had given the school the Scott's phone numbers.

Principal Morello said Ryan had been in a fight. Although Ryan had come out of it with a few scratches and bruises, the other guy needed medical attention. Peyton picked them up but Ryan had walked off instead of getting in the car. "He needs to cool off," Julie had said.

Now they were on their way back to the house. Julie bit her lip and then said, "Some kids have been teasing us." "What about?" Peyton asked. "About how we're hanging out with people whose kids went missing. They say it's creepy," Julie said quietly.

Peyton sighed, "How long has it been going on for?" "Since we came to Tree Hill," Julie said. "Why haven't you told anyone?" Peyton asked. "Ryan and I are used to it. Our mom was awful and the kids at our school weren't afraid to tell us what they thought about. Here it's not so bad. Only one kid teases us here."

Peyton turned a corner and asked, "Well what changed this time? Why did Ryan fight this time?" "Before the guy would tease me or Ryan, but never at the same time. This time he insulted me in front of Ryan which is…lethal! For that kid anyway."

Peyton shook her head. "When Brooke gets home we are all having a long talk about Ryan's anger and your reluctance to stop him fighting." Julie sighed and looked out the window.

"What is up with him, anyway? Last night Haley said he fell asleep on her lap and today he's beating someone to a bloody pulp."

Julie looked at her. "Ryan and I are messed up in the head. It comes from having a crazy mother and raising each since we were children."

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm," Peyton said. "Sorry," Julie said truthfully.

**-A few minutes later-**

Peyton stopped the car in front of the house and she and Julie walked into the kitchen. Julie sat down at the kitchen and pulled out her phone. "Hey Ryan where are you?" she asked. Peyton walked to her room to give Ryan and Julie some privacy.

She didn't know what to think about Julie and Ryan being in Tree Hill. They had come to town with hardly anything to their name and a bad past hanging around.

But the more they were around, the closer she got to the both of them.

She was starting to act more and more like a parent to them especially Julie. I mean she had just given out to her in the car like a mother giving out to her daughter. Sometimes Peyton even fooled her self into thinking she was Julie's mother.

Like when she showed Julie all her drawings and they talked about art. Like when Julie saw her office for the first time. Once when Lucas was sorting out stock at TRIC, Peyton and Julie had gone to see him. It was just the three of them there and Julie sat with Lucas at the bar, helping him with the stock. Peyton watched the two of them and she was filled with such a feeling of joy.

Then she would come crashing back to earth. She wasn't her mother; she was just a friend of their foster mother's. Ryan and Julie had a mother who was simply gone for a while.

But…their mother ran away. Surly she couldn't be trusted with two children. Maybe…maybe their mother wouldn't get custody. Maybe Brooke would adopt them. Then they could stay in Tree Hill.

Peyton sighed. She had to stop dreaming. She had to stop thinking about what she wanted. The most important people here are Ryan and Julie, she thought, we have to go with what they decide.

But that didn't stop her hoping that they would choose to stay in Tree Hill.


	12. Chapter 12

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**I know that Brooke hasn't been around but I needed her to go away for Ryan and Julie to spend some time with the Scott's. But she's back now. Also I know the last chapter was short but I had writer's block when it came to Peyton's chapter. Sorry about that!**

Nathan picked up another basketball and put it into the bag. He glanced over at the small boy sitting on the stands, colouring.

The boy's mother was a teacher at the school and sometimes when she had to work late, she left him with Nathan in the gym. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't go near the kid. Nathan had no problem being around kids like Ryan and John who were practically adults but small kids…he just couldn't handle it.

All little kids reminded him of Jamie…but come to think of it, so did Ryan. Nathan shook his head and went back to the picking up the basketballs.

"Hey Nathan," Ryan called as he walked into the gym. "Hey what are doing here?" Nathan asked.

"Brooke got called in so that she and Principal Morello could talk about mine and Julie's 'behavioural problems.' Apparently if we have one fight each we're officially troublemakers," Ryan said picking up a basketball and put it in the bag. "They already talked to me so Julie is in there now."

Nathan nodded. "You know Morello's a good guy. He just wants his students to be happy and safe. Maybe if the two of you could keep your anger under control you wouldn't have to be pulled into the principal's office so much."

Ryan looked at him and said "So you've never punched someone?" Nathan looked at him with a blank face. "Ok we're not talking about me here," he said quickly.

Ryan laughed and looked at the stands. "Who's the kid?" he asked. "His mom is a teacher and she's leaves him here with me when she has to work." Ryan asked, "What's his name?" Nathan shrugged his shoulders.

Ryan frowned and looked over at the boy again. "Hey, what's your name?" The boy looked up at them and said, "Ben." "Hey Ben, do you want to play basketball with us?" Ryan asked. Ben smiled and jumped off his seat.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Nathan whispered. "Come on, you're not afraid of getting beat by a little boy are you?" Ryan teased.

The game went on and with every passing minute Nathan relaxed more and more. Ryan put Ben up on his shoulders and they played against Nathan.

Soon Ben's mother came into the gym and Ben said goodbye to Ryan and Nathan. "See, that wasn't so hard," Ryan said. Nathan nodded and said quietly, "I…have trouble being around small kids like Ben." Ryan nodded and replied, "They remind you of Jamie."

Nathan nodded again. "Maybe next time I'll play with Ben instead of ignoring him. I better show him my mad skills," Nathan joked in a gangster voice.

Ryan looked at him with wide eyes. "Don't. Ever. Do that again," he said.

Nathan shoved Ryan lightly and Ryan shoved back. Nathan picked up that bag of basketballs and looked at the door. "Brooke and Julie are here," he said. Ryan smiled a goodbye and walked out of the gym.

Nathan walked to his office and dropped the bag on the floor. For some reason, playing basketball with Ryan relaxed him. No matter how stressful his day was, playing with Ryan made it all better.

The last time he had felt like that was…when Jamie was around.

Nathan sat in his chair and leaned back. He and Ryan had a lot in common. Both of them had issues with their fathers, they both loved basketball and some people had even thought they were father and son.

_Flashback_

_Nathan and Ryan were sitting on a bench in the park. There was a huge picnic going on and most of Tree Hill was there as well as many tourists. There were games and competitions going on but many of them were parent and child teams. For this reason both Ryan and Nathan were sitting them out._

_They chose to eat giant ice creams instead. At that moment they were having their own competition-who could last the longest without licking their lips. _

"_Hey you two will be late if you don't hurry," a man said. They looked up to see a man standing there with his son. They were obviously tourists. "Late for what?" Ryan asked. _

"_For the father-son-three-legged-race," the man said. Ryan turned red and he stammered, "Oh, oh I'm not…he's not…" "We didn't enter this year. I hurt my knee," Nathan interrupted. _

_The man nodded and he and his son walked off._

_Ryan looked at Nathan in confusion. "It's easier to explain then my-son-was-kidnapped-and-this-is-my-friend's-foster-son," Nathan said quickly. _

_Ryan nodded and went back to his ice cream but with the corner of his eye, Nathan caught the small smile that he had on his face. _

Nathan sighed as he remembered and looked up to see Haley standing in the doorway. "Ready to go home," she asked. Nathan nodded and smiled.

As they walked out of the school hand in hand Nathan couldn't help sigh contently. Why couldn't it always be like this? Being with Haley, working with the Ravens, playing basketball with Ryan.

Then he felt guilty. He shouldn't be happy right now. Jamie was still missing. He couldn't be truly happy until Jamie was standing right in front of him safe and sound.


	13. Chapter 13

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

Lucas sat at his desk staring at the blank screen. Once again no inspiration came to him. It was so frustrating!

"Hey, Lucas, are you here?" Julie called from front door. "In the study" he called back. Julie walked into the study and looked around. "Wow" she said.

The walls were lined with bookcases and each shelf was filled books. There was a big bay window with a large couch in it and a window seat. Lucas's desk was in the middle of the room with his back to door and there was another armchair in the corner. It had a very comfy and classic type of feel to it.

Julie tore her eyes from the books and said, "Dude…this is like…the perfect room!" Lucas chuckled and slightly closed the laptop. Julie smiled and walked over to one of the shelves.

"You've read 'The Count of Monte Cristo'?" she asked pulling a book of the shelf. "It's a good book; a classic," Lucas agreed.

"True but 'The Three Musketeers is better. I haven't read that in years," replied Julie.

Lucas got up and walked over to a bookcase. He ran his a finger across the titles before smiling and taking a book out. He handed it to Julie and his smile grew as he saw the huge grin brake across her face.

"Maybe you can read it again and you can decide wither it's still better that 'The Count of Monte Cristo'", he said.

Julie sat on the couch and looked at him. "Which one do you like better?" Lucas sat in the armchair and thought. "Probably 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' I mean the guy lied about his whole life and he still got a happy ending." Julie bit her lip. "Lying to people is a big deal, huh?" she asked.

"Usually, but I've found that it hurts the most when you lie to people to love," he said. Julie looked down at the book in her hands. "So if someone you love lies to you about something really big, would you be mad at them?" she asked.

Lucas leaned back and thought for a few minutes. "I would be at first. But if they had a really, really good reason…them maybe I could forgive them."

Julie nodded slowly and Lucas frowned at her. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Yes I'm fine," she said raising her head to look at him, "I just wish that I had a room like this in my old house."

Lucas sat forward and replied, "I have no problem with you coming here from time to time. You can also borrow books too, if you want." Julie looked at him, her face filled with what could only be described as pure and utter joy. She sat up and hugged him.

"Thank you, Lucas!" she said. Lucas smiled at her as she let go of him and sat back on the couch.

Lucas got up and sat at his desk again. He looked at Julie reading and thought about the last few months. Ryan and Julie had certainly made an impression and it wasn't just from the fighting at school.

Julie smiled as she read a page in the book. Lucas grinned to himself. It was true; she had his smile. Wait…where did that come from? She had a smile like him, that's all. Lucas shook his head opened his laptop. He glanced at the screen and closed the laptop again.

"Are you and Peyton having another kid?" Julie asked suddenly. Lucas looked at her and said, "Where did that question come from?" "Oh…I'm sorry. I've been working up the guts to ask you…but forget I said anything," she said quickly. "No it's ok," he said.

Lucas sighed before replying, "We're not sure about having other kids at the moment." "You're scared that people might think the kid would replace Erica," Julie said. Lucas nodded. "Lucas, believe me, I'm sure Erica would love a little brother or sister." Lucas looked at her smiling. "What?" she asked.

"It's nothing; I've just never met someone who is so sure that we're going to get Erica back. Other that me and the gang, of course." Julie smiled at him. "Don't worry Lucas. I had a good feeling that you'll get Erica and Jaime back."

She went back to the book and Lucas leaned back in his chair. He had never met someone like Julie before. She could be sarcastic but shy at the same time. She was the youngest but she still protected Ryan. She loved classic books but was into modern books as well. She was certainly unique.

Lucas went back to his thoughts. He thought about Ryan and Julie and what they had told them about their life before Tree Hill. He thought about how much joy and excitement they had brought into the Scott's lives. He thought about how they treated each other and how they treated other people.

Then he smiled and opened his laptop.

For the first time in fourteen years, Lucas Scott began to write.


	14. Chapter 14

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!**

**Guys I know a lot of you want the Scott's to find out about Ryan and Julie but I'm asking you to have patience. You see in my story, Ryan and Julie never really had the chance to have a real childhood. **

**They always had to worry about each other and they practically had to look after themselves. I want them to get used to Tree Hill and also I want them to feel like Tree Hill was always their home. **

**But thank you for reviewing and reading this story! **

**I can't believe I've wrote so many chapters in a few days. It's only because I've had so much free time. **

Karen sat in the driver's seat and turned a corner onto the road to Tree Hill. She was so excited to be going home.

After Jamie and Erica had left she stayed in Tree Hill to help her family. She had even opened her café across the street from Brooke's shop. But as the years went by, it got harder for Lily to be in Tree Hill. Memories of Erica and especially Jamie were too much for her.

When she turned 14 Lily applied for place at a boarding school in New York. When she got in, both she and Karen moved to New York. She had handed over the responsibilities of the café to her employees.

They hadn't come back to Tree Hill in four years.

But part of Lily's school had burnt down during the school year (thankfully no one was hurt) and they both agreed that Tree Hill was the perfect place to finish her senior year.

"Mom!" Lily wined. "Can I please change the music?" Karen laughed and pointed behind her. "There are more CDs in the back." Lily turned around and started searching for them.

"Where are they? I can't see them," she said. Karen looked back as Lily looked forward and said, "They're right-."

"MOM!" Lily shouted.

Karen turned around to see a person crossing the street with a grey hoodie. Karen slammed on the brakes and the car stopped before hitting the person. They sat in the car panting and the person ran over to Karen's window.

She rolled it down and before she could apologize the person said, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going! Are you two ok?"

They realized that the person as a young boy with brown-blonde hair and brown eyes. He was holding a basketball and was taking earphones out of his ears. "No it's ok. I wasn't looking where I was going either," Karen said.

The boy checked his watch and said, "I'm sorry. I've got to go." With that the boy waved goodbye and walked off. Lily and Karen looked at each other, frowning. "That was weird," Lily said.

Lucas opened the door and smiled at his mom and little sister. He hugged them both and showed them into the living room. "Karen! Lily!" Haley and Peyton chorused. Both of them were welcomed with hugs and kisses.

Then Karen noticed a girl walking into the room with two trays balanced in her hands. "Who's this?" she asked. The girl smiled and put the plates on the table.

"Hi Miss Roe, I'm Julie…Brooke's foster daughter." Karen walked over to the girl and hugged her. "Call me Karen and I've heard a lot about you and your brother."

Julie looked at Lucas who blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Come on you two, take a seat. You must be tired," Nathan said.

Haley walked back into the kitchen while Karen, Lily and Nathan sat on the couch. Brooke, Skills and Mouth sat on the dinning room chairs that had been brought into the room Lucas sat on one chair while Peyton sat in another. Julie sat in front of Peyton on the floor and Peyton started to absentmindedly stroke Julie's hair.

Karen looked at the two of them and remembered her phone conversations with Lucas. The way he talked about this young girl…it was almost like a proud father would talk about his daughter. She watched as Peyton started to brush strands of long hair back from Julie's face. How many times had she herself done that to Lily?

Haley walked back in with a plateful of brownies. Then they heard the door open and a voice call, "Hey, I'm back!" Haley smiled. "That's Julie's brother Ryan. He had to go over to his friend's place to give back a basketball." Ryan walked in and Karen and Lily saw that he was the boy they nearly ran over.

"Oh brownies!" Ryan said, smiling. He reached down to get one only to have Haley smack his hand away. "Ryan the reason I had to make more brownies today was because you ate half of the first batch all on your own! You can't possibly want more!" Ryan pretended to pout. "Come on Haley! You know I can resist your cooking, especially your brownies! So really this is your fault for having such good brownie making skills."

"That reverse psychology wouldn't work on me!" she said with a smile.

Ryan sighed and looked at the two visitors. "Hey I remember you two" he said. Nathan frowned. "You three know each other?" Lily nodded and explained, "We nearly ran him over on the way here."

Ryan bit his lip and said, "Actually I wasn't looking where I was walking." Brooke frowned. "Ryan that was a stupid thing to do! You have to be careful, you know that."

Ryan nodded and sat down on the floor between Nathan and Lucas.

It wasn't long before conversation started and all the tension was forgotten.

Karen and Lily were amazed at the scene before them. Ryan and Julie were two kids that had come out of nowhere and had only been in Tree Hill for two months so far. But it didn't look like that. It looked like they had lived with these people their entire lives. They were relaxed around the adults and the adults were relaxed around them.

It was as if Ryan and Julie had filled a hole that was in the Scott family and in the lives of their friends.

Lily, Ryan and Julie talked as if they were old friends. Lily started to tell them about her life in New York and her life in Tree Hill. "I'd have to say that the best times I had in Tree Hill were our birthday. I mean it was so much fun-."

"Wait, wait, did you just say OUR birthday?" Ryan interrupted. "Yes, OUR birthday. As in mine, Jamie and Erica's birthday. It's so cool we were all born on the same day!" Lily said with a smile, glad that talking about Jamie and Erica wasn't hard anymore.

Ryan looked at Julie and then back at Lily. Frowning he asked, "Didn't you say your birthday was in the summer?"

Lily nodded and replied, "That's true. Jamie and I were born on everyone's graduation day and Erica was born four years later. We were celebrating Erica's first birthday. It was a big deal so we all…"

Julie stopped listening to Lily as she watched Ryan. She could see that he was working things out in his head.

Suddenly a darkness came over his eyes and Julie knew that he was either going to punch a wall or burst out crying.

"Oh crap! We're out of milk. I'll have to run out and get some," Haley said.

Julie jumped and said, "It's ok Haley we'll get it for you." She pulled Ryan to his feet and took the money that Haley held out to them.

The two teenagers walked out the door and closed it behind them. They walked around the corner and suddenly Ryan stopped.

Julie looked at him in concern. His hands were clenched into tight fists and he was staring at the ground. "What's wrong Ryan?" she asked. "I'm fine," he said in a strained voice.

"No, you're not. Please tell me," she asked softly.

He looked up and she saw the hurt in his eyes.

"She changed our birthdays…she changed OUR FREAKING BIRTHDAYS!" he yelled.

Julie stood back. She knew Ryan needed to let it all out.

"She took EVERYTHING that we were and she twisted it till it was something completely different! She changed our names, our birthdays…she took us from our FAMILY and friends! I'm a few months older than I thought I was… and you! You're not 14, you're 15! I don't know who I am anymore! I don't know who you are anymore!"

Ryan took a deep breath and put his hands on his head. Julie looked at him and said, "You're my brother, my family and the person who has looked after me since we were little. That's who you are to me. You can figure out the rest of you later."

Ryan took an even deeper breath and tried to stop the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Stop that," Julie said sternly. "Stop what?" he asked. Julie walked towards him and replied, "Stop trying not to cry. You don't always have to be the strong one."

Ryan grinned slightly. "Yes I do. I've always been the strong one." She looked him in the eye and without meaning to he let a sob out.

Julie immediately hugged him and he hugged back. After a few minutes, Ryan let go and wiped his eyes. "We better get that milk for Haley," he said in a normal voice.

Julie nodded and an understanding came between them. It said that they accepted what they had just found out and it was a thank you from Ryan to Julie.

**-A few minutes later-**

The two teenagers walked back into the house and couldn't help but laugh at the sight in front of them.

Someone had got the Wii out and hooked it up to the TV. Nathan and Skills were trying to play basketball on it and were failing miserably.

Ryan gave the milk to Haley and joined Julie on the couch to watch two grown men make fools of themselves.

"Nathan come here and give me a hand," Haley called. Nathan groaned and gave the controller to Ryan before running into the kitchen. Ryan slipped the rope onto his wrist and started to play. "I'm after Ryan," Mouth said.

**-An hour later-**

"Come on, you two you have been playing that for too long. Shut it off," Haley grumbled. "One more game? Please!" Ryan said. "Ya, please!" Skills repeated. Haley shrugged and gave up.

She turned and heard a crash.

When she looked back she saw a broken plate on the floor and Ryan and Skills looking at it with open mouths.

They looked up at her and at the exact same time, they said, "I didn't do it!"

The two of them shut of the game and cleaned the plate up.

Brooke walked into the kitchen to put some plates in the sink and Karen came in behind her with two handfuls of glasses. "What do you think of Ryan and Julie?" Brooke asked.

Karen sighed and bit her lip. She looked at Brooke and said, "There's something very special about those two children. I don't know what it is; but it's something very special indeed."


	15. Chapter 15

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except the OCs.

Lucas sat at his desk staring at the blank screen. Once again no inspiration came to him. It was so frustrating!

"Hey, Lucas, are you here?" Julie called from front door. "In the study" he called back. Julie walked into the study and looked around. "Wow" she said.

The walls were lined with bookcases and each shelf was filled books. There was a big bay window with a large couch in it and a window seat. Lucas's desk was in the middle of the room with his back to door and there was another armchair in the corner. It had a very comfy and classic type of feel to it.

Julie tore her eyes from the books and said, "Dude…this is like…the perfect room!" Lucas chuckled and slightly closed the laptop. Julie smiled and walked over to one of the shelves.

"You've read 'The Count of Monte Cristo'?" she asked pulling a book of the shelf. "It's a good book; a classic," Lucas agreed.

"True but 'The Three Musketeers is better. I haven't read that in years," replied Julie.

Lucas got up and walked over to a bookcase. He ran his a finger across the titles before smiling and taking a book out. He handed it to Julie and his smile grew as he saw the huge grin brake across her face.

"Maybe you can read it again and you can decide wither it's still better that 'The Count of Monte Cristo'", he said.

Julie sat on the couch and looked at him. "Which one do you like better?" Lucas sat in the armchair and thought. "Probably 'The Count of Monte Cristo.' I mean the guy lied about his whole life and he still got a happy ending." Julie bit her lip. "Lying to people is a big deal, huh?" she asked.

"Usually, but I've found that it hurts the most when you lie to people to love," he said. Julie looked down at the book in her hands. "So if someone you love lies to you about something really big, would you be mad at them?" she asked.

Lucas leaned back and thought for a few minutes. "I would be at first. But if they had a really, really good reason…them maybe I could forgive them."

Julie nodded slowly and Lucas frowned at her. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Yes I'm fine," she said raising her head to look at him, "I just wish that I had a room like this in my old house."

Lucas sat forward and replied, "I have no problem with you coming here from time to time. You can also borrow books too, if you want." Julie looked at him, her face filled with what could only be described as pure and utter joy. She sat up and hugged him.

"Thank you, Lucas!" she said. Lucas smiled at her as she let go of him and sat back on the couch.

Lucas got up and sat at his desk again. He looked at Julie reading and thought about the last few months. Ryan and Julie had certainly made an impression and it wasn't just from the fighting at school.

Julie smiled as she read a page in the book. Lucas grinned to himself. It was true; she had his smile. Wait…where did that come from? She had a smile like him, that's all. Lucas shook his head opened his laptop. He glanced at the screen and closed the laptop again.

"Are you and Peyton having another kid?" Julie asked suddenly. Lucas looked at her and said, "Where did that question come from?" "Oh…I'm sorry. I've been working up the guts to ask you…but forget I said anything," she said quickly. "No it's ok," he said.

Lucas sighed before replying, "We're not sure about having other kids at the moment." "You're scared that people might think the kid would replace Erica," Julie said. Lucas nodded. "Lucas, believe me, I'm sure Erica would love a little brother or sister." Lucas looked at her smiling. "What?" she asked.

"It's nothing; I've just never met someone who is so sure that we're going to get Erica back. Other that me and the gang, of course." Julie smiled at him. "Don't worry Lucas. I had a good feeling that you'll get Erica and Jaime back."

She went back to the book and Lucas leaned back in his chair. He had never met someone like Julie before. She could be sarcastic but shy at the same time. She was the youngest but she still protected Ryan. She loved classic books but was into modern books as well. She was certainly unique.

Lucas went back to his thoughts. He thought about Ryan and Julie and what they had told them about their life before Tree Hill. He thought about how much joy and excitement they had brought into the Scott's lives. He thought about how they treated each other and how they treated other people.

Then he smiled and opened his laptop.

For the first time in fourteen years, Lucas Scott began to write.


	16. Chapter 16

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing .

**This chapter has a little more about Julie and her background.**

"I can't wait! One more hour and its New Year's!" Brooke said excitedly.

Ryan was stretched out on the couch flicking the channels on the TV while Julie was sketching on the chair. Brooke was sitting on another chair with Owen and was talking happily to him about her New Year's resolutions.

"I know I'm probably going to break all of them but I might as well make them anyway," she said.

Ryan looked at his watch and then got up off the couch. He grabbed his jacket and Julie's and threw Julie's to her.

As they were putting them on Brooke frowned and asked, "Where are you two going?"

"Brooke this is nothing against you or Mr Morel- I mean Owen- but Julie and I always spend New Years together, on our own. It's like our only family tradition," Ryan explained.

Brooke bit her lip and then sighed. "Alright but don't go far and be back soon," she said.

Ryan and Julie shut the door behind them and walked towards the river court.

There was still snow on the ground and there was more promised for the next few days.

Julie sighed and said, "I can't believe we've been here for three months."

Ryan smirked and replied, "I think Brooke's calling in a few favours at the social services to let us stay longer."

Julie shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Where's Carrie? You said we got her mad so why hasn't she come?"

Ryan kicked some snow off his shoe and paused before replying. "She wouldn't come until she has new names for us. That could take awhile. She might send some more messages but she wouldn't come yet."

Julie wrapped her jacket tighter around her. "I want her to come. I want her to come here so we can put her behind bars. I want to be able to look at Lucas and Peyton and tell them that I'm their daughter. I want people to call me Erica," Julie admitted.

Ryan put an arm around his sister. "So do I. The thing I want the most right now is to call Haley and Nathan my parents and for me to be able say that I'm Jamie."

By now they were at the river court and after they cleared the snow from the seats they sat down and put their feet up on the seats in front of them.

"We have to make a promise," Julie said.

Ryan looked at her in confusion.

"We have to promise each other that no matter what happens, this time next year, the Scott's know who we are," Julie explained.

Ryan grinned. "Alright I promise if you promise," he said. Julie held out her pinkie finger and said, "Pinkie promise?"

Ryan laughed and said, "What are you, seven?"

"Come on we made pinkie promises all the time when we were kids!" Julie said.

"Yes, when we were KIDS!" Ryan said. Julie looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Alright, alright," Ryan said hooking his finger onto hers, "Pinkie promise."

They let go and Ryan folded his arms.

"I feel so immature," he said.

"No change there, then," Julie teased.

Ryan made a face at her and then smiled. "Remember when we were little and we promised each other that when we grew up we would buy a boat," he said.

Julie laughed. "I do." She looked down at the snow and said, "Remember that snow day when we got that rock and covered it with snow. Then we let it roll down the hill and when it got to the bottom it was a HUGE!"

Ryan laughed and replied, "It was too big for a snowball so we left it on top of a neighbour's car. Then when he came out he practically had heart attack." Julie nodded.

Ryan looked sideways at her. "Remember when you got bullied," he said quietly.

Julie sighed, "Ryan I thought we were going to drop that."

Ryan sat up straight and looked at her. "Julie we tell each other everything but that…that is the only thing you've never told me about."

Julie rubbed her hands together. "That year was the worst year of my life because I let some stuck up girls make me feel like crap. But the summer afterwards, when it was just you and me… I don't know! It was like for the first time I felt good and important and it was all thanks to you. You spent the summer hanging out with me and being the best brother anyone could ask for. So when I went back to school I just…I didn't want to go back to being who I was. The next time one of those girls tried to hurt me I just punched her."

Ryan smiled slightly and said, "You kept punching anyone who hurt you until they stopped. Not the best way to handle the situation."

Julie frowned. "Says the guy who put someone in hospital last month for teasing me," she said.

Ryan grinned and replied, "Well it's like my one rule: no one messes with you but me!"

Julie punched him in the shoulder and said, "What time is it?"

Ryan pulled up his jacket sleeve and said, "Three minutes to midnight."

Julie looked up at the dark sky. "Just great! Some people get fireworks and we get nothing," she said.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Ryan said.

Julie looked at him with narrowed eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"I just heard that some people are planning some fireworks themselves this year."

Julie's eyes grew wide and she said, "The Rav-."

She stopped as the sky was lit up with a bright colours and shapes. Green, red, blue and gold were flying everywhere and both of them smiled at the show in front of them.

**-Nathan and Haley's house-**

Nathan and Haley sat on there porch steps looking at the fireworks.

Lucas and Peyton ran out to them and gasped at the show.

Lucas grinned at the Nathan and said, "You know who's done this don't this, don't you?" Nathan nodded. "You'll have to punish them," Lucas said sadly.

"I will," Nathan said smiling, "One day."

Haley looked up at the sky and whispered, "Happy New Year Jamie and Erica."

On the river court Julie turned to her brother and said, "Happy New Year Ryan."

Ryan looked at her and said determinately, "No matter what happens, I promise that you'll never have to go through another year where you feel bad about your self."

Julie grinned. "Happy New Year Julie would have been just fine, you know!" she said.


	17. Chapter 17

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Ok, so I've skipped a month and it's now December in my story.**

Brooke shuffled into the sitting room in her fluffy slippers and looked around.

It was early in the morning and the sun was just coming over the horizon. Sun light crept into through the windows and spilled into the room. The light caused the tinsel on the Christmas tree to glow and the star on top glittered. All the small lights dotted on the tree looked like little stars in the night sky.

Gifts were piled at the bottom wrapped with brightly coloured paper and there was a wonderful smell of cinnamon from the cooking that had been going on the day before.

Brooke loved Christmas. She loved it more than any other holiday. Christmas was a time for family and Brooke finally had a family. She always had great time with her foster children at Christmas but this time it was different.

She had never fostered anyone as long as Ryan and Julie. She was practically jumping up and down with excitement.

She walked into Ryan's room and saw he was still asleep.

She poked him.

He just rolled over.

She poked him again.

Ryan just grunted.

Brooke sighed and jumped on the bed.

Ryan was pushed of the bed and landed on the floor with a thud and a yell.

He got up slowly and looked from Brooke to the clock and then back to Brooke.

"What the hell, Brooke! It's 8 am! Why are you waking me up this early during the holidays?" Brooke got off the bed and smiled at him.

"It's Christmas Day!" she said excitedly. "So?" he said grumpily getting up off the floor. Brooke's smile dropped. "Didn't you have Christmas in your house?"

Ryan looked at her frowning. "Our mom always went out with friends at Christmas. She never made a big deal out of it for me and Julie."

Then it was Brooke's turn to frown. First their mother practically left them fending for themselves, then she left them on their own. She hardly gave them anything of their own and now she left them alone at Christmas! This was too much!

Brooke put her hands on her hips. "Well in this house we DO make a big deal out of Christmas. So get into the sitting room and start opening your gifts."

A slight smile played on Ryan's lips. "Gifts? As in more than one? We never really had more than one gift each and they were from each other."

Brooke felt another pull at her heartstrings and she walked to Ryan and hugged him. "Merry Christmas," she said. "Merry Christmas, Brooke," he replied.

As Ryan turned towards the sitting room Brooke walked to Julie's room.

This time she knew better and she immediately jumped on the bed.

Julie, bring more graceful than her brother, didn't fall out of the bed.

Instead she sat up and looked at Brooke sleepily. "Come on! It's Christmas Day!" Brooke said smiling.

Julie looked at her with half open eyes and said "Your point?"

Brooke rolled her eyes. "One: I didn't ask for the sarcasm and two: I'm not repeating the speech so get your little butt into the living room."

Julie grumbled her way down the hall but when she walked into the room she gasped. Ryan was sitting on the couch looking at the presents.

Both of the kids turned to her and Julie said, "Are those for us?" Brooke nodded, glad that she had hid the presents from them until now. When neither of them made a move Brooke said "Well…aren't you going to open them?"

A few minutes later the floor of the living room was covered with wrapping paper of all colours.

Ryan loved the basketball jersey he got along with the new basketball. Julie had also got him a dog tag necklace and Brooke had given him a t-shirt with the words 'Do I look like a freaking morning person!' printed on the front as well. Both Julie and Brooke had picked it out and they had agreed that it was perfect for Ryan.

Julie had got a charm bracelet from Brooke. She thought it was a normal bracelet until Ryan gave her his present. Ryan had given her a number of different charms and it was obvious that he put a lot of thought into every one of them. There was a guitar, a CD, a paintbrush, an open book, a basketball and many more.

As the two teenagers went to get changed, the doorbell rang and Brooke opened the door to see the Scott's who were loaded down with presents.

**-Minutes later-**

"Ok next present!" Nathan said.

Brooke had opened all of her presents and so had Lucas and Peyton. Nathan had received nearly all of his presents but one.

Lucas handed him it and Nathan smiled as he opened it. "Nice! I've been looking for this book for ages. It's his full autobiography."

Ryan picked up a medium-sized square present and gave it to Haley. The others weren't paying attention so no one noticed. Haley smiled and tore off the wrapping paper.

The present was a photo frame that could fit in five photos. All the frames were filled with pictures of Ryan, Julie and the Scott's. Most of them had Brooke, Skills and Mouth in them but there were two that just had the kids and the Scott's in them.

Haley smiled at the picture and Ryan blushed. "Julie and I had no idea what to get you so we just went with this."

Haley smiled at him and said, "I love it!" She placed the frame on her lap and hugged Ryan. As he hugged her back Ryan felt that now familiar comfort wash over him.

"So is that all the presents?" Brooke asked as Ryan and Haley parted.

"No we've got one more," Lucas said, picking up a small rectangular present and handing it to Ryan.

He smiled and opened it. "Julius Cesar. How did you know I wanted to read it?" he asked.

Lucas shrugged. "I loved reading it so we hoped you would."

Ryan nodded and looked at Lucas and Peyton. "Thank you. Everyone…thank you. I doubt we've ever had a better Christmas." Julie nodded her head in agreement.

"Hey, we're just starting," Brooke said happily.

**-A few hours later-**

Brooke placed another scoop of ice cream in the bowl and handed it to Julie who sat back down at the table.

The Christmas dinner had gone great and now they were all onto the dessert. Brooke didn't know what to chose so she got cake, ice cream and other different desserts.

With so many of them to choose from Ryan had 'kindly' taken it upon himself to eat half a cake by himself.

Brooke wondered where the boy put it all considering he didn't put any weight on. _"Some people are blessed with good metabolisms_," she thought.

Haley walked up to Brooke and placed her bowl on the worktop.

"You did a great thing here Brooke. You planned the perfect Christmas for them."

Brooke just smiled. "You think you can get us some snow while you're at it," Haley joked.

Brooke chuckled. "I'm good but I'm not that good," she replied. But as she looked up she gasped.

"Or maybe I am," she said.

Haley turned to the window and smiled as she saw the snowflakes fall. Ryan looked at them and then followed there gaze out the window. He laughed and jumped up to look out the window.

Everyone followed him and they all stared out the window at the falling snow.

Julie turned to Brooke with puppy dog eyes.

Brooke shook her head. "Oh, no! We are not going out there. The snow is just starting to fall and it's getting dark." Ryan's eyebrows went up. "Wow, how did the day go by so fast?" he asked.

Brooke laughed. "Well, you guys did play with that racetrack I have for younger kids for two hours!"

Nathan, Lucas and Ryan blushed. "Hey, blame the inner children in us, ok!" Nathan said.

Haley raised an eyebrow. "Your inner child?" she said. Nathan just shrugged his shoulders.

**-A few hours later-**

Brooke turned off the lights in the sitting room. She tip-toed passed both guest rooms that Nathan, Haley, Lucas and Peyton were sleeping in. She looking in on Ryan and Julie who were sound asleep and then she walked to her own room.

She sat on her bed and picked up her phone. She dialled a number and waited for the person to pick up.

"Hey Owen, Merry Christmas! ...Yes I had a wonderful time. How's your family? ...That's great…Ryan and Julie had such a great time… Truthfully? … This could be the best Christmas I've ever had."


	18. Chapter 18

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**I think this is my longest chapter yet. I hope you guys like it! **

Julie looked up at the board and then back down at her book.

She started to write when a paper ball hit her on the head.

She took a deep breath and ignored it.

Then a second one hit her and another landed on her desk. She brushed it off and turned.

There were three girls and a guy sitting in the back row of the class. The guy was the one throwing the paper balls.

One of the girls was the blonde that had got her hair caught in Julie's locker a few months back. Her nose had healed up fine after Julie had punched her but she now went out of her way to make Julie's life miserable.

"What the hell do you want?" Julie whispered at them.

The girl smirked and replied, "To make your life hell, what else?"

Julie smirked back and said, "My life was hell once. What makes you think you can make it worse?"

The girl's face twisted into a scowl. "Just because you fight back doesn't mean you're not scared of me?"

Julie nearly laughed out loud. "I used to live in one of the worst towns in North Carolina. Don't for a second think you scare me."

Then she turned back around and started taking notes again.

Then ANOTHER ball hit her back. She turned around to see another ball coming at her.

Before it hit, Tyler shot out his hand and caught it.

"_Woah, who knew the boy had such good reflexes?_" she thought.

Tyler was sitting behind her so he turned around and looked at the guy in the back.

"Throw another one of these and I'll shove it so far up your ass, you'll be chewing on it!" Tyler threatened. Then he turned back to Julie.

"What?" he asked when he saw her wide eyes.

"Nothing" she said, "I just didn't know you were such a bad-ass."

Tyler grinned and replied, "I think I've been hanging around with your brother and his friends too much."

Julie smiled softly and leaned in to kiss him.

"Julie Jackson and Tyler Cross! No public displays of affection in the classroom!" the teacher yelled.

Tyler winked at Julie and she turned around to face forward again.

**-Few minutes later-**

As class ended, Julie stood up to put her books away.

As she passed, one of the girl's friends, or should I say minions, pushed Julie's things off her desk. Then the girl cackled with the rest of the small group.

"Wow, you pushed my books off my desk! My self-esteem is shattered!" Julie said sarcastically.

Tyler helped her pick up the sheets that had scattered along the floor.

When they stood up they saw that Zane Howard was helping them. He picked up another sheet and added it to the bundle in his hand. He walked up and handed Julie the sheets.

"Thanks," she said to both him and Tyler.

"No problem. Did you draw this?" Zane asked pointing to a design that Julie had doodled on the page. Julie nodded.

"This may seem like a random question but have you ever considered designing skateboards?" Zane asked.

Zane was the school's sports writer but he was also an amazing skateboarder. He had entered many competitions and won most of them.

Julie held up the sketch and said, "You think this design would look good on a skateboard?"

Zane nodded enthusiastically and said, "It would look awesome on a skateboard! Would you put it on mine?"

Julie shrugged and said, "Sure, just give me your board at the end of the day and I'll put it on."

A huge grin appeared on Zane's face. "Thanks! You rock, Jackson!"

He walked out the door and Julie and Tyler walked out after him. They had a free period so they walked slowly down the corridor.

"Looks like someone likes your art," Tyler said, slipping his arm around Julie's waist.

"I know. It also looks like someone hates me," Julie said.

Tyler kissed her cheek and said, "Forget them. They're not worth it. All four of them are just wannabe populars and that girl is just jealous of you. Not only are you liked by everyone in this school but you're practically Tree Hill royalty with Ryan being on the basketball team. Most girls would kill to be related to the captain of the Ravens."

Julie sighed. "Ryan is so mad about that. He feels like he's pushing John out by taking the captain's spot, even though it was John's idea in the first place."

Tyler replied, "Well your brother is a natural leader and his basketball skills are second to none…just like yours."

Julie kissed Tyler and then put her head on his shoulder. "You're one of the best things that has ever happened to me, you know that?" she whispered.

Tyler smiled and teased, "I try."

**-Rest of the day-**

It went on and on.

The group would throw things at Julie, push her stuff off her desk, and trip her up in the corridor among other things.

Julie was trying to keep her temper in check ever since Owen had talked to Brooke about the fights.

But those Pathetics, as Julie had named them, weren't making easy for her.

Every class they would do something and every time they did, Julie and Tyler would tell them to back off.

So would Zane and his friends and also a couple more people. Without realizing it Julie had made a lot of friends in Tree Hill.

**-Lunch-**

Students pilled into the cafeteria.

The seniors had lunch the same time as the freshmen. This meant that there was an unofficial seating order to the cafeteria.

The room had been redone a few years back and it was much bigger. At the end of the room there was a platform with a few tables on it.

The seniors sat there and at some of the tables near it. The basketball team mostly sat on the platform, with the cheerleaders and their other friends.

The freshmen could sit at any other table.

Tree Hill wasn't as bad for cliques as most schools but it still had its share of populars and unpopular.

John, Kyle and Rick were at one of the tables and Lily was with them.

Lily wasn't a cheerleader and she wasn't dating a popular so as far as the students were concerned, she wasn't aloud on the platform.

When one of the football players pointed this out, Lily turned and looked at him.

It was a look that she had got from her mom. A look that made the football player shut up and dropped the subject.

Since then Lily sat with her friends, no argument.

Ryan wasn't there because some kid wanted to talk to him while they were walking to the cafeteria. He waved his friends on and said he would catch up with them.

The four of them waved to Julie and Tyler when they saw them.

Then Lily got out some cookies she had baked yesterday. The boys took one each and as they ate them they looked at Lily like she was some cookie-baking miracle worker.

Julie smiled at their faces. She had tasted Lily's cooking and everything tasted gorgeous.

Julie and Tyler sat at one of the tables in the middle of the room with Zane and a few other people. Thankfully the Pathetics were seated far away near the seniors, hoping to get noticed.

The cafeteria was filled with people all talking and yelling at the same time. The noise was deafening.

Then the door banged open and the noise ceased.

The room was silent as everyone watched Ryan standing in the doorway looking around the room.

In that second everyone knew what had happened.

Ryan had found out that someone was hurting Julie.

And everyone was terrified.

It had become an unwritten rule in Tree Hill High: Nobody messes with Ryan Jackson's little sister.

EVER.

And if you did, it would not end pretty…and neither would your face.

Ryan spotted his targets and started to walk through the room. There was no sound except for Ryan's footsteps.

Before he could reach the right table Julie shot up and placed both hands on her brother's chest, holding him back.

"No Ryan! We promised Brooke no more fights. Just let it go!" she said.

"Not happening! They need to be taught a lesson," Ryan said never taking his eyes from the Pathetics table.

"Ryan, you aren't the kind of person that hits girls are you?" Julie baited. Ryan's eyes flicked to her face and then back to the Pathetics.

"No" he said, "But I heard that the guy is doing to most damage so I'll just hit him."

Julie began to push her brother back. "No! No fights!" Julie said.

"There wouldn't be a fight," Ryan said, "a fight is when the other person hits back. What makes you think that this guy is going to get the chance to hit back? "

"You need to chill! Come on!" Julie said.

She pushed her brother away and they both walked to the food counter. As Ryan grabbed a tray the noise level went back to normal.

Ryan placed food on the tray and whispered to Julie, "I promised you on New Years that you wouldn't have to go through crap like this again and I intend to keep my promise!"

Julie followed him and replied, "I know you do and don't worry. It's not going to go down like it did last time."

Julie sighed and continued, "The first step is that I'm going to tell someone. Probably Peyton. I learned from last time that adults can help. Then we can get my plan into action. Those kids need to be taught a lesson because if they don't bully me then they'll probly bully someone else."

Ryan frowned. "Wait, what plan do you have in mind?" he asked.

Julie smiled slyly, the type of smile that Ryan had seen many times.

Every time that smile appeared trouble always followed.

"I said you couldn't fight," Julie said, "I never said you couldn't threaten."

**-The next day-**

Julie paced back and forth in front of the school.

Peyton had nearly shouted the house down when she told her about the Pathetics. It had taken a lot of persuasion to convince her to let them take care of it themselves.

Julie let out a sigh of relief when she saw Tyler coming towards her.

"Hey did you get it?" she asked.

Tyler nodded and showed her the glue that he had in his bag. "Does Kyle have the feathers?" he asked.

"Yup, now come on. Time to put the plan into action," she replied.

With that Tyler put his arm around Julie's shoulders and they walked into the school.

They gave Zane's new skateboard back to him and continued on their way.

As they expected the Pathetics were gathered around Julie's locker, ready for an early morning bullying session.

Tyler gave Julie's shoulders a comforting squeeze and she said, "Will you guys please move?"

The boy laughed and said, "Hear that Kelly? She wants us to move!"

The blonde girl, Kelly, smirked. "You better have a better reason then 'please' to make us move," she said.

"If you don't move then I'll move you," Tyler said.

The boy laughed again and said, "You and what dorky army?"

Tyler grinned and he and Julie pointed behind the group.

The Pathetics turned and came face to face with the entire Tree Hill High basketball team.

Ryan stepped forward and gave the group a look that said 'Give up now.'

Ryan sighed and said, "Our basketballs are flat because we bounce them too hard when we dribble. If you don't STOP the bulling RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL BE our new basketballs!" Ryan threatened.

Julie gave the nod and Kyle reached into his bag for the feathers while Tyler reached for the glue.

"What the hell have you been doing?" a voice shouted.

Julie sighed. Their plan was being ruined because someone was shouting at Ryan.

A girl walked towards them and Julie frowned. She looked familiar. "_Of course! I remember her from the river court!_" Julie thought.

"Emily why are you shouting at Ryan?" she asked.

Emily was now standing between Julie and Tyler and the Ravens, in front of Kelly and her friends.

"I'm not shouting at Ryan. I'm shouting at Jeff here. My ass of a neighbour!" she said looking at the boy. "I can't believe that you've been bulling Julie! I should hit over the head!"

As she continued to rant Ryan stared at her.

"_Don't look at me! Don't look at me!_" he thought.

Then as if she heard his thoughts Emily turned her head slightly and swept her gaze over the Ravens.

Her eyes rested on Ryan for longer than the others.

"_Damn! She did again!_" he thought.

As Emily went back to look at Jeff, Kelly and the others, Ryan sighed.

With one single glance Emily had managed to take his breath away all over again.

She did it at the river court and she did it now. How she did it he didn't know. Half of him loved it and the other half was scared of it. He had never felt like this before.

"So why don't you guys run along and leave my friends alone before I tell you the person you most afraid of, what you've been up to!" Emily threatened.

"Who's that?" Jeff asked, confused.

The boy isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. In fact he was the furthest from sharp that you could get.

Emily smirked triumphantly and said, "Your mom!"

Jeff's eyes grew wide and he pushed and prodded the girls down the corridor and away from the group.

"Nice Emily! You scared the crap out of that guy!" said Kyle, high fiving Emily.

John smiled at her and said, "We haven't talked to you in a while. What have you been up to?"

Emily shrugged. "I've been tutoring some people as well as doing my own school work," she replied.

Julie sighed. "Emily, thank you for standing up for me but I was really looking forward to making them look like giant chickens."

The rest of the day went by and the Pathetics were quiet. They kept sending Julie glares but she shrugged them off.

In class Ryan felt his eyes wandering from the board to the girl sitting beside them.

He noticed how she would tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. How she twirled her pencil around in her fingers. Every time he realized that he was staring at her he would turn back around to the board.

But every time his eyes went back to Emily.

What he didn't notice was that she would stare at him as well.

She noticed that he would run his hand threw his short hair. That he would push the sleeves of his grey jumper up to the elbows. She noticed that every time he looked up at the board, the sun would shine in his eyes in a certain way so that it didn't annoy him but it gave his eyes a special twinkle.

But she was sure that the twinkle would be there even if the sun wasn't shinning.

But every time she would force her eyes back to the board.

She had fallen for popular guys before and always they would turn her down or date another girl. She had her heart broken to many times over the years. She couldn't fall for this guy. He would be just like the others.

"_Even if he is incredibly gorgeous_," she thought.

"Come on Ryan! You have to ask her out!" Julie argued.

Ryan shook his head.

They were walking outside the school in the parking lot. School had just ended and students were all around on their way home.

Ryan had walked out of class with Emily and as he watched her walk off he failed to notice that Julie was standing right there. Since then she had asked him over and over again to take Emily out on a date.

"I'm not going to ask her!" Ryan said.

Then he turned and saw Emily standing beside her friend a few yards away.

"She's right there Ryan. Just go over and ask her! That or else move because you're leaving a pool of drool on the ground," Julie teased.

Ryan frowned at her and Julie frowned back.

Then she grabbed a book from Ryan's arms and threw it in Emily's direction.

"Oh look!" Julie said innocently, "You 'accidentally' dropped you book. You better go get it!"

Then she kicked Ryan in the ass, pushing him forward.

Ryan turned to Julie and they started a silent fight that was made up of pointing, shaking of heads and strange faces.

"Is this yours?" a voice behind Ryan asked.

He turned and was face-to-face with Emily.

"Uh…ya," Ryan mumbled. Julie sighed and put her head in her hand.

"Would you like to go with the river court with us?" Ryan said in a rush.

Julie's head snapped up and she smiled.

Emily's head was saying, "No" but another part of her, a bigger part, smiled and said "Yes."

To the delight of Ryan and Julie she went with the second part.

**-River court-**

Julie dribbled the ball around Tyler and scored a basket effortlessly. The two of them were playing on the court while Ryan and Emily sat on the bleachers.

They had been talking for ages and had played a game of 20 questions, which had ended in both of them in fits of laughter.

"I haven't seen you in ages!" Ryan said.

Emily laughed and replied, "Well like I said, I've been busy with school work and tutoring."

"Who do you tutor?" Ryan asked.

"A few freshmen that are overcome with the workload, a few sophomores and juniors and I used to tutor some of your Ravens."

Ryan grinned, "That's how you guys became such good friends. You tutored them."

Emily nodded and said, "I'm their friend but I'm not an 'official popular'".

There was a small pause and then Ryan took a deep breath and asked, "You wouldn't happen to want to go out with me some time?"

Emily turned to him and smiled. "You don't beat around the bush do you?"

Ryan shook his head.

Emily's smile dropped and she said, "No."

Ryan felt someone had punched him in the stomach.

There was a pause and then he asked, "Why not?"

Emily looked down and she said, "I've fallen for a lot of guys like you Ryan. You're popular and liked. But because of that you have to follow the high school rules. You can't date a geek like me. And I can't get my heart hurt another time."

With that she stood up and looked at him. "I've hung out with you a total of two times and I really like you. But if I like this much at this early point then…then when things don't work out I'll be really hurt. And I think you could really hurt my heart Ryan."

She stooped down and kissed his cheek, sending electric shocks though both their bodies.

She picked up her bag and before she walked off she said, "Think about it Ryan. A Ravens superstar and a tutor girl. That could never even make it though high school."

With a sigh she turned and walked away.

Every part of Emily screamed at her to turn around and go back to him but she couldn't she need to keep her heart safe.

Ryan sat on the bleachers.

Its fine, he kept telling himself, it's no big deal.

But if it was no big deal then why did him feel winded and why did his chest feel tight all of a sudden.

Julie and Tyler had been standing and watching the whole scene before them.

"What…just…happened?" Tyler asked slowly.

Julie sighed and answered, "I think my brother just got his heart broken."

**-Brooke's house-**

That night at dinner there was tension at the dining table. Ryan hadn't said anything since they had got home and Brooke was worried about him.

Julie, Ryan, Brooke and Owen were sitting, eating and there was silence.

Owen cleared his throat and said, "What's her name?"

Ryan looked up and sighed. Why bother hiding it?

"Emily Lewis," he said.

Brooke's face lit up with a smile. "Aaaawww!" she said.

Julie laughed at the frown that came onto Ryan's face.

"Did you ask her out?" Owen asked.

Ryan nodded and replied, "But she said that a Ravens superstar and a tutor girl could never last pass high school. So why bother trying."

Brooke laughed and all three of them looked at her.

"I'm sorry. It just ridiculous what she said. I mean, Nathan and Haley are still together."

Ryan frowned. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Brooke smiled and explained, "Haley was Nathan's tutor in high school and that's how they met. Nathan was smart; he was just a lazy ass."

Ryan smiled. Nathan was a Raven and Haley was his tutor! Maybe there was a chance for him and Emily after all.

"Fight for her Ryan. That's how you get her back," Owen advised and Brooke nodded in agreement.

Julie sighed and said, "I feel like I've landed in an episode of Beverly Hill 90210."


	19. Chapter 19

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing

**I just wanted to explore the protective side of Ryan and the Ravens and also I wanted to look more into the characters of Kyle and Rick. **

**I have holidays coming up and I'm so happy! Two weeks off school!**

"I spy with my little eye…something beginning with J"

"Jackass?"

"No, genius!"

Ryan, John, Kyle and Rick were lying across the couch and the chairs in Brooke's sitting room.

The TV was broken and their ball was burst so they couldn't even play basketball.

"OH MY GOD! I'M SO BORED!" John moaned.

Lily laughed at the sight of them and turned a page in her magazine. The Scotts and Brooke were standing in the kitchen having coffee.

Julie came down the stairs and said "How do I look?"

Tyler had finally asked her out and they were going on a date that night. Julie was wearing a red tank top under a band t-shirt that showed her shoulder and a pair of jeans with converse.

Before anyone could reply Lily said, "Oh my God you look like you've been dragged sideways through a hedge! Get up those stairs right now!"

She hurried Julie up the stairs and Julie mouthed to her brother, "Help me!"

**-A few minutes later-**

Julie walked down the stairs looking completely different. She had a yellow t-shirt on with a denim skirt. She had a pair of pumps on her feet and a scowl on her face.

The room was completely quiet.

Ryan opened his mouth but Julie pointed to him and said "Not a word…not one word!"

Lily smiled at her work but before she could do anything else she got a call from Karen asking her to come home.

Finally the doorbell rang and Julie ran to the door and had shut it behind her in seconds.

Ryan jumped off the couch, went to the window and saw Tyler standing on the porch and watched as he handed her a pair of black converse and waited for her to switch shoes.

Julie dumped the pumps on the porch and took Tyler's hand as they walked down the street. Nathan joined him at the window and smiled at the sweet sight.

When Ryan turned back to them Kyle said, "Man, I know she's 15 and you're going to kill me but dude, your sister's SMOKIN'."

Ryan grabbed Kyle in a headlock. John and Rick looked at each other and shrugged. John grabbed Ryan in a headlock and Rick body slammed them all. They punched and kicked and fought each other.

Nathan looked at them blankly.

"Don't get blood on the carpet."

"Too late!"

The boys laughed and got up. Ryan followed Nathan back into the kitchen and started to drum him fingertips on the worktop.

Lucas sighed and said, "Ryan she's been gone for one minute."

Ryan looked at him with a panicked look on his face. "A lot could happen in one minute!" he said in a high voice.

Nathan sighed and replied, "Ryan if Tyler ever touched Julie in a way she didn't like, which I doubt he would, she would brake both his wrists, kill him and then bring him back to carry her shoes home for her."

Ryan paused and then said, "True."

Peyton grinned. "For a girl who has had no training she has one serious right hook," she said.

Haley poured her self a cup of coffee and said, "Julie's a tough girl who can look after herself."

Ryan grinned and said "Believe me, it's genetic."

The adults went out to the back garden and Ryan walked back into the sitting room to his friends. He sat down on the chair and stared into space.

"What's wrong?" John asked. Ryan stood up. "I need you guys to help me spy on Julie on her date. I need to make sure he doesn't hurt her."

His friends looked at him and then Kyle said, "I'm in." Rick nodded, "Me too." They turned to John.

He frowned and said, "This is wrong, immoral and sneaky…but I'm bored so I'm in."

**-At the cinema-**

Julie and Tyler sat in the cinema, talking and waiting for the film to start. Ryan, Kyle and Rick sat near the back.

Rick was turning off his phone, Ryan was watching Tyler and Julie and Kyle, who was sitting in the middle, was stuffing his face with popcorn.

"Hey did John say what movie this was?" Rick asked, putting his phone back in his pocket. Ryan shook his head, "No, he just pointed to the door and ran to the bathroom. I told him to go before we went."

Kyle crossed his fingers on both hands and said, "Please don't be a chick flick, please don't be a chick flick!"

The lights dimmed and the screen lit up with the words 'A special showing of The Notebook.'

Kyle dropped his hands and shouted, "DAMN IT A CHICK FLICK!"

The whole audience turned back to look at them including Tyler and Julie. Ryan and Rick grabbed Kyle's shoulders and they ducked their heads.

Rick turned to Kyle and said "Ssshh!"

Kyle frowned and said, "Don't shush me!"

John walked into the room and sat down beside them.

Ryan smiled widely and said, "Yes, Julie HATES 'The Notebook.'

John frowned and said, "Well if they're not going to watch the movie, what are they going to do?" Ryan looked at him and his eyes grew wide. He immediately turned back to watch Tyler and Julie.

Kyle swallowed some more popcorn and said, "Don't worry, Ryan, if Tyler's anything like me when I was 15…no wait…that REALLY doesn't help."

Ryan groaned and watched as Tyler and Julie continued to talk.

Half way though the movie, Tyler moved to put his arm around Julie's chair. Ryan sat up straight and said, "Oh he better not be putting his arm where I think he's putting he's putting his arm!"

"Chill Ryan…and be quiet…I'm trying to go to sleep," John mumbled.

Ryan turned and saw that Kyle, Rick and John were leaning back in their chairs. Kyle and Rick were fast asleep and John was drifting off.

Then Tyler and Julie got up and walked out of the room. Ryan punched them all in the legs and they woke up with a start. "Come on, they're on the move."

**-At the diner-**

Tyler and Julie sat at a booth at the window. The boys were on the other side of the diner. They could see the couple but the couple couldn't see them. They all had ordered and now they were splitting their time between eating and watching.

Rick was digging into his fries and burger like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

Ryan looked at him with a disgusted look on his face. "Dude, how can you eat like that?" he asked.

Rick looked up at him and said, "Easy, two reasons. One: I'm hungry and two: you're paying."

Ryan sighed and looked over to see Julie get up to go to the bathroom. "Watch him guys he might put something in her drink" John said.

Ryan frowned and looked at him. "One thing I do know about Tyler is that he isn't the kind of guy to drug someone's drink…he's not Rick."

Rick looked up at the other boys with a horrified look on his face. "Hey! I don't drug anyone! I use my natural charm!"

Kyle and Ryan bursed out laughing and John nearly spat out the drink he had just taken.

"What? I do!" Rick said.

Ryan laughed again and said, "Calm down dude, I'm kidding!"

**-At the river court-**

Tyler had taken Julie to the river court after the diner and this caused a problem for the boys. They couldn't get close enough to see properly without getting caught in the street lamp's light.

So they came up with the only sensible solution: climb a tree.

Ryan climbed up first with John after him. "Damn it, I knew I should have brought binoculars!" Ryan grumbled.

"Ok this boarding on stalker," John said.

"No, we passed stalker an hour ago…Kyle will you get up the freaking tree!" Rick called from the ground.

Kyle was trying to pull himself up by a branch.

"I'm trying…WOAH!"

"Oh my God Kyle! Are you Ok?"

"Ya, I'm fine. I landed on a bush."

"No you didn't you landed on Rick!"

"Oh sorry!"

"Man when you get off me I'm going to KICK YOUR ASS!!!"

"SSSHHH!"

Then Ryan heard Tyler say, "Come on I think it's time I brought you home." With the couple walked back in the direction of Brooke's house.

"CRAP, CRAP, CRAP! Guys, they're going home. We have to get back first or else Julie will know we did something," Ryan said as he climbed down from the tree.

John jumped down from the tree and asked, "How could she possibly know we spied on her?"

Ryan jumped to the ground, "I don't know! She just knows when I do something wrong or illegal! It's like she has some sixth sense or something!"

The boys ran all the way back to Brooke's house taking all the shortcuts they knew. They ran through the back door of the house and sat down on the chairs in the sitting room.

"We…should…have…taken…the…car!" Kyle said panting.

Suddenly the front door opened and Julie walked in. She shut the door and then frowned at the boys.

"What did you guys do?" she asked after a pause.

Kyle mouthed to Rick, "Sixth sense!"

Ryan stared at Julie blankly. "Nothing just watched TV," he said.

"The TV's broken…and why are you guys all sweaty?" she said.

"Well, we fixed it…and then it broke again…then we went out to play basketball," John interrupted.

"But your basketball's flat," Julie argued.

"We got another one," Ryan said simply.

Julie shrugged and walked across the room. She stopped and turned to them. "Why do you guys smell like popcorn, fries and…trees?" she asked.

John answered slowly, "Well the popcorn's you…we ate fries and the basketball got stuck in the tree outside so Kyle had to go get it…then he fell out…but he landed on a bush."

Rick glared at Kyle and said, "Ya, A BUSH!"

Kyle glared back and said, "The bush broke my fall because it was so fat!"

"That bush was EXTREMLY well toned, thank you very much!"

Julie looked at them with wide eyes. "You boys get weirder every day." She turned around and started to walk up the stairs.

Then she stopped on a step and said, "By the way…if you guys EVER spy on me again, I will twist your arms till they come out of their sockets!"

With another glare she turned back around and walked up the stairs.

The room was quiet and then Ryan said, "You want to know the scary thing about that?"

"What?" John asked.

"She could do it too"

**-An hour later-**

Julie sat in her room flipping through a magazine. Ryan walked slowly into the room and knocked on the open door.

"Is it safe to come in? Or are you going to throw large heavy objects at me?" he asked.

Julie sighed and looked at him. "Ryan you spied on me. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you! I just don't trust him!" Ryan explained.

"Ryan we aren't back in our old neighbour hood! Tyler is a great guy who was a gentleman though out the entire date. You should know, you were practically on the date with us!" Julie teased.

Ryan sat down on the bed and said slowly, "It has always been just you and me, on our own. I guess I have trouble trusting you to other people."

Julie smiled slightly. "Ryan, three of your friends watched a chick flick, climbed a tree and ran a couple of miles to get back into the house so that they wouldn't get in trouble. I don't think we're alone anymore! We have other people to love us and care for us."

Ryan smiled back and said, "I own those guys big time!"

He got up and said, "You forgive me and the boys?" Julie smiled and nodded.

"Good because they care about just as much as me."

Before he left he turned to her and said, "By the way, you're not aloud date again until your 30…my nerves can't take it!"

Then he sprinted out of the room.

Julie jumped up and ran after him. "Ryan! That's not fair! Ryan, come back! RYAN! RYAN!"


	20. Chapter 20

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except the OCs.

**I think this is my longest chapter yet. I hope you guys like it! **

Julie looked up at the board and then back down at her book.

She started to write when a paper ball hit her on the head.

She took a deep breath and ignored it.

Then a second one hit her and another landed on her desk. She brushed it off and turned.

There were three girls and a guy sitting in the back row of the class. The guy was the one throwing the paper balls.

One of the girls was the blonde that had got her hair caught in Julie's locker a few months back. Her nose had healed up fine after Julie had punched her but she now went out of her way to make Julie's life miserable.

"What the hell do you want?!" Julie whispered at them.

The girl smirked and replied, "To make your life hell, what else?"

Julie smirked back and said, "My life was hell once. What makes you think you can make it worse?"

The girl's face twisted into a scowl. "Just because you fight back doesn't mean you're not scared of me?"

Julie nearly laughed out loud. "I used to live in one of the worst towns in North Carolina. Don't for a second think you scare me."

Then she turned back around and started taking notes again.

Then ANOTHER ball hit her back. She turned around to see another ball coming at her.

Before it hit, Tyler shot out his hand and caught it.

"_Woah, who knew the boy had such good reflexes?_" she thought.

Tyler was sitting behind her so he turned around and looked at the guy in the back.

"Throw another one of these and I'll shove it so far up your ass, you'll be chewing on it!" Tyler threatened. Then he turned back to Julie.

"What?" he asked when he saw her wide eyes.

"Nothing" she said, "I just didn't know you were such a bad-ass."

Tyler grinned and replied, "I think I've been hanging around with your brother and his friends too much."

Julie smiled softly and leaned in to kiss him.

"Julie Jackson and Tyler Cross! No public displays of affection in the classroom!" the teacher yelled.

Tyler winked at Julie and she turned around to face forward again.

**-Few minutes later-**

As class ended, Julie stood up to put her books away.

As she passed, one of the girl's friends, or should I say minions, pushed Julie's things off her desk. Then the girl cackled with the rest of the small group.

"Wow, you pushed my books off my desk! My self-esteem is shattered!" Julie said sarcastically.

Tyler helped her pick up the sheets that had scattered along the floor.

When they stood up they saw that Zane Howard was helping them. He picked up another sheet and added it to the bundle in his hand. He walked up and handed Julie the sheets.

"Thanks," she said to both him and Tyler.

"No problem. Did you draw this?" Zane asked pointing to a design that Julie had doodled on the page. Julie nodded.

"This may seem like a random question but have you ever considered designing skateboards?" Zane asked.

Zane was the school's sports writer but he was also an amazing skateboarder. He had entered many competitions and won most of them.

Julie held up the sketch and said, "You think this design would look good on a skateboard?"

Zane nodded enthusiastically and said, "It would look awesome on a skateboard! Would you put it on mine?"

Julie shrugged and said, "Sure, just give me your board at the end of the day and I'll put it on."

A huge grin appeared on Zane's face. "Thanks! You rock, Jackson!"

He walked out the door and Julie and Tyler walked out after him. They had a free period so they walked slowly down the corridor.

"Looks like someone likes your art," Tyler said, slipping his arm around Julie's waist.

"I know. It also looks like someone hates me," Julie said.

Tyler kissed her cheek and said, "Forget them. They're not worth it. All four of them are just wannabe populars and that girl is just jealous of you. Not only are you liked by everyone in this school but you're practically Tree Hill royalty with Ryan being on the basketball team. Most girls would kill to be related to the captain of the Ravens."

Julie sighed. "Ryan is so mad about that. He feels like he's pushing John out by taking the captain's spot, even though it was John's idea in the first place."

Tyler replied, "Well your brother is a natural leader and his basketball skills are second to none…just like yours."

Julie kissed Tyler and then put her head on his shoulder. "You're one of the best things that has ever happened to me, you know that?" she whispered.

Tyler smiled and teased, "I try."

**-Rest of the day-**

It went on and on.

The group would throw things at Julie, push her stuff off her desk, and trip her up in the corridor among other things.

Julie was trying to keep her temper in check ever since Owen had talked to Brooke about the fights.

But those Pathetics, as Julie had named them, weren't making easy for her.

Every class they would do something and every time they did, Julie and Tyler would tell them to back off.

So would Zane and his friends and also a couple more people. Without realizing it Julie had made a lot of friends in Tree Hill.

**-Lunch-**

Students pilled into the cafeteria.

The seniors had lunch the same time as the freshmen. This meant that there was an unofficial seating order to the cafeteria.

The room had been redone a few years back and it was much bigger. At the end of the room there was a platform with a few tables on it.

The seniors sat there and at some of the tables near it. The basketball team mostly sat on the platform, with the cheerleaders and their other friends.

The freshmen could sit at any other table.

Tree Hill wasn't as bad for cliques as most schools but it still had its share of populars and unpopular.

John, Kyle and Rick were at one of the tables and Lily was with them.

Lily wasn't a cheerleader and she wasn't dating a popular so as far as the students were concerned, she wasn't aloud on the platform.

When one of the football players pointed this out, Lily turned and looked at him.

It was a look that she had got from her mom. A look that made the football player shut up and dropped the subject.

Since then Lily sat with her friends, no argument.

Ryan wasn't there because some kid wanted to talk to him while they were walking to the cafeteria. He waved his friends on and said he would catch up with them.

The four of them waved to Julie and Tyler when they saw them.

Then Lily got out some cookies she had baked yesterday. The boys took one each and as they ate them they looked at Lily like she was some cookie-baking miracle worker.

Julie smiled at their faces. She had tasted Lily's cooking and everything tasted gorgeous.

Julie and Tyler sat at one of the tables in the middle of the room with Zane and a few other people. Thankfully the Pathetics were seated far away near the seniors, hoping to get noticed.

The cafeteria was filled with people all talking and yelling at the same time. The noise was deafening.

Then the door banged open and the noise ceased.

The room was silent as everyone watched Ryan standing in the doorway looking around the room.

In that second everyone knew what had happened.

Ryan had found out that someone was hurting Julie.

And everyone was terrified.

It had become an unwritten rule in Tree Hill High: Nobody messes with Ryan Jackson's little sister.

EVER.

And if you did, it would not end pretty…and neither would your face.

Ryan spotted his targets and started to walk through the room. There was no sound except for Ryan's footsteps.

Before he could reach the right table Julie shot up and placed both hands on her brother's chest, holding him back.

"No Ryan! We promised Brooke no more fights. Just let it go!" she said.

"Not happening! They need to be taught a lesson," Ryan said never taking his eyes from the Pathetics table.

"Ryan, you aren't the kind of person that hits girls are you?" Julie baited. Ryan's eyes flicked to her face and then back to the Pathetics.

"No" he said, "But I heard that the guy is doing to most damage so I'll just hit him."

Julie began to push her brother back. "No! No fights!" Julie said.

"There wouldn't be a fight," Ryan said, "a fight is when the other person hits back. What makes you think that this guy is going to get the chance to hit back? "

"You need to chill! Come on!" Julie said.

She pushed her brother away and they both walked to the food counter. As Ryan grabbed a tray the noise level went back to normal.

Ryan placed food on the tray and whispered to Julie, "I promised you on New Years that you wouldn't have to go through crap like this again and I intend to keep my promise!"

Julie followed him and replied, "I know you do and don't worry. It's not going to go down like it did last time."

Julie sighed and continued, "The first step is that I'm going to tell someone. Probably Peyton. I learned from last time that adults can help. Then we can get my plan into action. Those kids need to be taught a lesson because if they don't bully me then they'll probly bully someone else."

Ryan frowned. "Wait, what plan do you have in mind?" he asked.

Julie smiled slyly, the type of smile that Ryan had seen many times.

Every time that smile appeared trouble always followed.

"I said you couldn't fight," Julie said, "I never said you couldn't threaten."

**-The next day-**

Julie paced back and forth in front of the school.

Peyton had nearly shouted the house down when she told her about the Pathetics. It had taken a lot of persuasion to convince her to let them take care of it themselves.

Julie let out a sigh of relief when she saw Tyler coming towards her.

"Hey did you get it?" she asked.

Tyler nodded and showed her the glue that he had in his bag. "Does Kyle have the feathers?" he asked.

"Yup, now come on. Time to put the plan into action," she replied.

With that Tyler put his arm around Julie's shoulders and they walked into the school.

They gave Zane's new skateboard back to him and continued on their way.

As they expected the Pathetics were gathered around Julie's locker, ready for an early morning bullying session.

Tyler gave Julie's shoulders a comforting squeeze and she said, "Will you guys please move?"

The boy laughed and said, "Hear that Kelly? She wants us to move!"

The blonde girl, Kelly, smirked. "You better have a better reason then 'please' to make us move," she said.

"If you don't move then I'll move you," Tyler said.

The boy laughed again and said, "You and what dorky army?"

Tyler grinned and he and Julie pointed behind the group.

The Pathetics turned and came face to face with the entire Tree Hill High basketball team.

Ryan stepped forward and gave the group a look that said 'Give up now.'

Ryan sighed and said, "Our basketballs are flat because we bounce them too hard when we dribble. If you don't STOP the bulling RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL BE our new basketballs!" Ryan threatened.

Julie gave the nod and Kyle reached into his bag for the feathers while Tyler reached for the glue.

"What the hell have you been doing?" a voice shouted.

Julie sighed. Their plan was being ruined because someone was shouting at Ryan.

A girl walked towards them and Julie frowned. She looked familiar. "_Of course! I remember her from the river court!_" Julie thought.

"Emily why are you shouting at Ryan?" she asked.

Emily was now standing between Julie and Tyler and the Ravens, in front of Kelly and her friends.

"I'm not shouting at Ryan. I'm shouting at Jeff here. My ass of a neighbour!" she said looking at the boy. "I can't believe that you've been bulling Julie! I should hit over the head!"

As she continued to rant Ryan stared at her.

"_Don't look at me! Don't look at me!_" he thought.

Then as if she heard his thoughts Emily turned her head slightly and swept her gaze over the Ravens.

Her eyes rested on Ryan for longer than the others.

"_Damn! She did again!_" he thought.

As Emily went back to look at Jeff, Kelly and the others, Ryan sighed.

With one single glance Emily had managed to take his breath away all over again.

She did it at the river court and she did it now. How she did it he didn't know. Half of him loved it and the other half was scared of it. He had never felt like this before.

"So why don't you guys run along and leave my friends alone before I tell you the person you most afraid of, what you've been up to!" Emily threatened.

"Who's that?" Jeff asked, confused.

The boy isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. In fact he was the furthest from sharp that you could get.

Emily smirked triumphantly and said, "Your mom!"

Jeff's eyes grew wide and he pushed and prodded the girls down the corridor and away from the group.

"Nice Emily! You scared the crap out of that guy!" said Kyle, high fiving Emily.

John smiled at her and said, "We haven't talked to you in a while. What have you been up to?"

Emily shrugged. "I've been tutoring some people as well as doing my own school work," she replied.

Julie sighed. "Emily, thank you for standing up for me but I was really looking forward to making them look like giant chickens."

The rest of the day went by and the Pathetics were quiet. They kept sending Julie glares but she shrugged them off.

In class Ryan felt his eyes wandering from the board to the girl sitting beside them.

He noticed how she would tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. How she twirled her pencil around in her fingers. Every time he realized that he was staring at her he would turn back around to the board.

But every time his eyes went back to Emily.

What he didn't notice was that she would stare at him as well.

She noticed that he would run his hand threw his short hair. That he would push the sleeves of his grey jumper up to the elbows. She noticed that every time he looked up at the board, the sun would shine in his eyes in a certain way so that it didn't annoy him but it gave his eyes a special twinkle.

But she was sure that the twinkle would be there even if the sun wasn't shinning.

But every time she would force her eyes back to the board.

She had fallen for popular guys before and always they would turn her down or date another girl. She had her heart broken to many times over the years. She couldn't fall for this guy. He would be just like the others.

"_Even if he is incredibly gorgeous_," she thought.

"Come on Ryan! You have to ask her out!" Julie argued.

Ryan shook his head.

They were walking outside the school in the parking lot. School had just ended and students were all around on their way home.

Ryan had walked out of class with Emily and as he watched her walk off he failed to notice that Julie was standing right there. Since then she had asked him over and over again to take Emily out on a date.

"I'm not going to ask her!" Ryan said.

Then he turned and saw Emily standing beside her friend a few yards away.

"She's right there Ryan. Just go over and ask her! That or else move because you're leaving a pool of drool on the ground," Julie teased.

Ryan frowned at her and Julie frowned back.

Then she grabbed a book from Ryan's arms and threw it in Emily's direction.

"Oh look!" Julie said innocently, "You 'accidentally' dropped you book. You better go get it!"

Then she kicked Ryan in the ass, pushing him forward.

Ryan turned to Julie and they started a silent fight that was made up of pointing, shaking of heads and strange faces.

"Is this yours?" a voice behind Ryan asked.

He turned and was face-to-face with Emily.

"Uh…ya," Ryan mumbled. Julie sighed and put her head in her hand.

"Would you like to go with the river court with us?" Ryan said in a rush.

Julie's head snapped up and she smiled.

Emily's head was saying, "No" but another part of her, a bigger part, smiled and said "Yes."

To the delight of Ryan and Julie she went with the second part.

**-River court-**

Julie dribbled the ball around Tyler and scored a basket effortlessly. The two of them were playing on the court while Ryan and Emily sat on the bleachers.

They had been talking for ages and had played a game of 20 questions, which had ended in both of them in fits of laughter.

"I haven't seen you in ages!" Ryan said.

Emily laughed and replied, "Well like I said, I've been busy with school work and tutoring."

"Who do you tutor?" Ryan asked.

"A few freshmen that are overcome with the workload, a few sophomores and juniors and I used to tutor some of your Ravens."

Ryan grinned, "That's how you guys became such good friends. You tutored them."

Emily nodded and said, "I'm their friend but I'm not an 'official popular'".

There was a small pause and then Ryan took a deep breath and asked, "You wouldn't happen to want to go out with me some time?"

Emily turned to him and smiled. "You don't beat around the bush do you?"

Ryan shook his head.

Emily's smile dropped and she said, "No."

Ryan felt someone had punched him in the stomach.

There was a pause and then he asked, "Why not?"

Emily looked down and she said, "I've fallen for a lot of guys like you Ryan. You're popular and liked. But because of that you have to follow the high school rules. You can't date a geek like me. And I can't get my heart hurt another time."

With that she stood up and looked at him. "I've hung out with you a total of two times and I really like you. But if I like this much at this early point then…then when things don't work out I'll be really hurt. And I think you could really hurt my heart Ryan."

She stooped down and kissed his cheek, sending electric shocks though both their bodies.

She picked up her bag and before she walked off she said, "Think about it Ryan. A Ravens superstar and a tutor girl. That could never even make it though high school."

With a sigh she turned and walked away.

Every part of Emily screamed at her to turn around and go back to him but she couldn't she need to keep her heart safe.

Ryan sat on the bleachers.

Its fine, he kept telling himself, it's no big deal.

But if it was no big deal then why did him feel winded and why did his chest feel tight all of a sudden.

Julie and Tyler had been standing and watching the whole scene before them.

"What…just…happened?" Tyler asked slowly.

Julie sighed and answered, "I think my brother just got his heart broken."

**-Brooke's house-**

That night at dinner there was tension at the dining table. Ryan hadn't said anything since they had got home and Brooke was worried about him.

Julie, Ryan, Brooke and Owen were sitting, eating and there was silence.

Owen cleared his throat and said, "What's her name?"

Ryan looked up and sighed. Why bother hiding it?

"Emily Lewis," he said.

Brooke's face lit up with a smile. "Aaaawww!" she said.

Julie laughed at the frown that came onto Ryan's face.

"Did you ask her out?" Owen asked.

Ryan nodded and replied, "But she said that a Ravens superstar and a tutor girl could never last pass high school. So why bother trying."

Brooke laughed and all three of them looked at her.

"I'm sorry. It just ridiculous what she said. I mean, Nathan and Haley are still together."

Ryan frowned. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Brooke smiled and explained, "Haley was Nathan's tutor in high school and that's how they met. Nathan was smart; he was just a lazy ass."

Ryan smiled. Nathan was a Raven and Haley was his tutor! Maybe there was a chance for him and Emily after all.

"Fight for her Ryan. That's how you get her back," Owen advised and Brooke nodded in agreement.

Julie sighed and said, "I feel like I've landed in an episode of Beverly Hill 90210."


	21. Chapter 21

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except the OCs.

Ryan stood against some lockers and tapped his foot impatiently. Emily still hadn't come in and he was beginning to lose his nerve.

Then he saw her. And he was mesmerised once again.

She had her head down reading something in her note book. Her hair was in a ponytail but there were still locks of hair falling down.

She looked up and stopped.

She stared at him and he stared at her.

Ryan had to bite back a smile when he saw the blush creeping up on her cheeks. She looked so cute to him in that moment.

The thoughts going through Emily's head were a little different.

"_Why? Why, why, why, why?!!!?!?"_ she thought, _"Why is he like this?!? It would be some much easier if he wasn't so adorable. No! No, he's not adorable and defiantly not hot! Defiantly not hot. _

_I know what he is. He'__s stupid! That right! _

_His stupid brown eyes that look amazing, his stupid t-shirt that fit him in all the stupid right places, his stupid protective streak for his sister and his friends that is so cute and most of all his stupid…" _

Her thoughts were stopped for a minute as Ryan smiled a cheeky grin at her and Emily found that her brain had stopped thinking and had joined her heart in drooling over the amazing guy in front of her.

"Stupid heart stopping grin," she muttered.

"What?" Ryan asked.

Emily blushed again and said, "You're in front of my locker."

Ryan smiled again and moved over to lean against the locker next to hers.

Emily took a deep breath, walked over to her locker and opened it.

There was a silence as she took her books out and then Emily said, "What do you want?"

Ryan raised his eyes brows and for a second she was afraid she hurt him.

But the smile came back in a second and Emily tried to stop herself from feinting.

"_It's official,"_ she thought, _"It's unhealthy for this boy to smile this much around me." _

Ryan looked at her and said, "Has anyone ever told you, if you want something go get it. No matter what."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "And let me guess, you always get what you want?" she said.

Ryan shook his head. "No. Growing up I never got what I wanted. Being in Tree Hill has taught me that if you want or care about something, hold on to it with both hands. And I don't intend to let you go."

Emily's face softened and then she smirked. "What if I don't let you catch me?" she asked.

"Then I'll wait. I have a feeling you're worth it."

With those few words, Emily had confirmed something she had been worrying about for a while.

She had fallen completely and utterly for the guy standing in front of her.

What she didn't know was that he felt the same way about her. He just had to prove it.

Emily shut her locker and stated to walk down the hall with Ryan walking beside her.

"Look Ryan," she said, "you're a popular and I'm not. It's a simple as that. We cannot be together. And there's nothing you can do to change my mind…"

In that second Ryan took her arm, turned her around and kissed her, in the middle of the Tree Hill hallway.

As he pulled away he looked at Emily who looked back. "Except that…" she whispered.

Then she reached up and kissed him back.

There were a few wolf whistles and a couple, 'nice one, captain' but neither of them heard anything. They were too busy. It was as if everyone else in the world had just disappeared.

Eventually oxygen was needed and they pulled away.

Ryan leant his forehead against Emily's, whose arms were securely around Ryan's neck.

Ryan's own arms were on Emily's waist and he knew that he never let her go.

"What is it with you Jackson's and kissing?! For that last time no public displays of affection in school!" a teacher yelled.

Emily smiled and Ryan took her hand.

They walked down the hallway and stopped beside Ryan's locker, where Lily, John, Kyle and Rick were waiting.

The four friends stopped talking and looked between Ryan, Emily and their joined hands.

Lily said, "When did you two get together?" Ryan looked and Emily and then back at their friends.

"Just a few minutes ago," he said proudly.

Lily screamed and then turned back to the boys. "I told you so! Pay up!"

The boys grumbled and handed over their money.

"You two couldn't have got together after school?!" Kyle complained.

Ryan and Emily frowned and looked the four of them.

Lily pulled out her note book and opened a page. It had some numbers written on it.

"See Kyle, that's why I said, weekday during school instead of after."

Kyle shook his head and said, "I don't know how you knew!"

Rick scrunched up his nose and said, "I think it's a girl thing."

Ryan said, "You guys drew up a schedule of when we would get together!"

The four friends just nodded.

Emily laughed, "We weren't that obvious, were we?"

John laughed and said, "Please, I was practically getting electrocuted from the sparks between you two."

Ryan placed his arm around Emily's shoulders and they all walked to homeroom.

They passed Julie, Tyler and Zane on their way there and Julie eye's filled with excitement when she saw Ryan's arm around Emily.

"Nice job, 90210," she teased.

As she walked away with the other two, Emily smiled and said, "What was that all about?"

Ryan smiled and shook his head. "Nothing. Just something my sister made up."

**-Lunch time-**

Lunch time came and the knot in Emily's stomach grew.

She and Ryan were at his locker dropping off some of his books. Their friends went ahead.

Ryan looked at her and frowned when he saw her biting her lip.

He placed a hand on her cheek and she looked at him. "What's wrong?"

Emily sighed and said "The platform."

When she said those two words Ryan knew what was wrong. As far as the populars concerned Emily wasn't welcome on the platform.

Ryan took both her hands and kissed them lightly. "I promise you…no one is going to say or do anything to you."

Emily smiled and they walked into the cafeteria.

The room was filled with noise as the two of them walked across the room. They both had packed lunches so they went straight to the platform.

Rick, Kyle and Lily were sitting at a round table with two cheerleaders.

The only place to sit was beside the cheerleaders.

The two of them made room for Ryan but not for Emily. Ryan didn't make a move to sit.

Instead he said, "Make room for Emily will you?"

Neither of them did anything.

Lily looked at them and said, "Move before I move you bitches!"

Rick laid his hand on Lily's arm to calm her.

Emily shook her head at the cheerleaders and said, "Forget it."

It was Ryan's turn to shake his head.

He sat down and gently tugged Emily down to sit on his lap. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

Ryan looked up and saw Lily was biting her lip and clenching her fists.

He sighed and said, "Let it out."

"Aaaawww!" Lily said.

Emily laughed and rested her head on Ryan's shoulder.

"You two are cuter than a monkey with a puppy!" Lily said.

Kyle frowned and said, "Monkeys aren't cute."

Lily nodded and argued, "Yes they are!"

"No they're not!"

"Yes they are!"

They continued at this and soon John came up on the platform.

The cheerleaders quickly moved to another table. They wouldn't move for Emily but they would move for John.

Rick scoffed and shared a look with Ryan and Lily.

John sat down with his lunch tray and frowned at Lily and Kyle.

"What are they doing?" he asked.

"Arguing wither monkeys are cute or not," Rick said simply.

John sighed and replied, "You know, the weird part is, I'm not even surprised anymore."

Lily and Kyle certainly had more than their fair share of random conversations.

They ate and talked for a few minutes until one of the football players came up and looked at Emily.

A few minutes passed and then Ryan said, "Dude, if you keep staring at my girl, I'll have to hurt you."

The player smirked and said, "Why would I want to go out with that?"

Ryan's hand curled up into a fist. "For your own safety, walk away now," he said, his voice threatening.

Emily placed her hand on Ryan's fist and said, "Calm down Ryan. I don't care what he says and neither should you."

The player sighed and said, "Look just get the geek of the platform and we'll be fine, alright?"

Emily stood up to leave and Ryan stood up to punch the guy.

"Ryan!" Emily warned.

Ryan growled and grabbed his and Emily's lunches. With that they walked off the platform and sat down at one of the other tables near the window.

"I'm sorry," Ryan said.

"It's fine. We didn't leave because he forced us; we left because you were about to hit him and you can't get in trouble again" Emily said.

Ryan smiled at her and then he sighed.

Emily placed her hand on his. "You're upset because you didn't think your friends were that shallow," she said.

Ryan frowned and replied, "They just sat there and said nothing."

Before they could say another word four trays were placed on the table beside them and then people sat down beside them.

"I'm telling you Superman is better Batman!" Lily said.

"No, Batman is better!" Kyle replied.

Rick sighed and said "Do you have any idea how moved from 'monkey are cute' to 'which superhero is better'?"

John shook his head and took a bit of his lunch.

Ryan and Emily smiled and they glanced at the platform.

The football player was lying on the ground covered in juice.

"What happened to him?" Ryan asked, as they turned back to their friends.

"Well…first he tripped…"

"Then he hurt his arm…"

"Then he hurt his nose…"

"And then he looked thirsty so I gave him my drink but he spilt it all over himself!" Lily finished for them.

Ryan laughed and said, "And he did that all to himself?"

Their four friends nodded together.

"Well isn't he clumsy!" Emily said sarcastically.

John nodded and replied, "Ya and if he keeps treating you bad a whole lot of clumsy is going to come his way."

Ryan and Emily couldn't keep the smiles from his faces.

**-After school, N&H house-**

Haley was in the kitchen placing the last brownie onto the plate.

Then the door opened and shut and she heard Ryan shouting, "Haley, Haley, Haley!"

"In the kitchen!" she yelled back.

Ryan ran into the room and before a word could come out he accidentally tripped over the armrest and flipped over onto the couch.

"Oh my God Ryan are you ok?" Haley said as she ran over to the couch.

Ryan sat up on the couch and said, "Haley! I got my tutor girl!"

Haley frowned at what he said. "Ok I know first hand that teenagers have their own language but could you switch back to English please?"

Ryan laughed and said, "Emily and I are going out. A Ravens superstar and a tutor girl. Just like you and Nathan."

Haley smiled at his excited face. "That's great hunny," she said.

Ryan tilted his head slightly and looked at her strangely.

"What?" she asked.

"You've been calling me hunny a lot lately," he said.

Haley felt the blush come up on her cheeks and she said, "I'm…sorry. I-I'll stop."

Ryan smiled and said, "No…it's ok. I like it when you call me that."

Haley let out a sigh of relief.

Then Ryan sniffed the air and looked at Haley happily.

She pointed to the kitchen and he shot up to get some brownies.

Haley smiled at him.

He was so happy with Emily. And Haley was so proud of him.

**-A few weeks later-**

Brooke paced up and down Karen's café.

She was so nervous.

Owen sat with Lucas and Peyton while Haley and Nathan helped Karen behind the counter.

Emily, Tyler, Zane, the Ravens and Lily were sitting in one of the booths.

The other tables were taken up by other people from the town. The place was packed. They were waiting for the party to start.

Although everyone else seemed fine they were all as nervous as Brooke.

After all it was a pretty big question that she had to ask.

**-River court-**

While this was going on, Ryan was sitting down on the bleachers, thinking.

Julie walked up and sat down beside him. "Can you hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" Ryan said.

"The wheels in your brain are turning again," Julie teased.

Ryan grinned and there was silence again.

Julie knew that when her brother needed to think it was best not to say anything.

"How many good things have we got going for us?" he asked suddenly.

Julie looked at her brother and he said, "Count them."

Julie counted, "The Scott's, Brooke, Owen, Skills, Mouth, Karen, Lily, Tyler, Zane, Emily, John, Kyle, Rick, basketball, school, each other." Ryan nodded.

"That means we have a lot to lose," he said.

Julie groaned, "Don't say that!"

"It's true Julie!" Ryan said.

He continued, "We never had anyone or anything growing up except each other. Now we've got all these people and we're risking it all with a lie! I don't want to lose anyone of those people! I can't!"

Julie looked at her brother, taking in every word that he said.

Before she could reply Ryan said, "Something is telling me to leave Carrie in the past and look towards the future. Maybe if we tell people who we are then maybe they could help us catch Carrie. I just want to stop lying!"

Julie stared at him and said, "So do I. I think it's time to tell the truth"

Ryan let out a sigh of relief and hugged his sister.

When they let go Julie asked, "So how do you want to tell them?"

Ryan said, "When we go to Karen's party, we can take the Scott's aside and tell them. Then we tell Brooke because she's been great to us. Then we tell the others."

Julie nodded at his suggestion.

They got off the bleachers and walked to the café.

They were finally going to tell them. How would they react? Will they be happy?

These were the thoughts going through both their minds.

They got to the café and Ryan asked, "Ready?"

Julie nodded and said, "You?"

Ryan nodded as well and he opened the door to the café.

They looked around at the people in the big room. It looked like most of the town was there.

"They're here!" Lily shouted and people turned to look at them.

Julie sighed and she said, "Why do I feel like we did something wrong?"

"I didn't do anything bad, I swear" Ryan said when his sister looked at him.

"Neither of you did anything. I just have a very important question to ask you," Brooke said.

"In front of everyone?" Julie said.

Brooke looked around at the crowd and said, "Ya…now that I think about it that wasn't such a good idea…"

Ryan smiled and said, "It fine Brooke, ask your question."

**You guys asked for it and here it is! The secret is coming out extremely soon but not as you think. Oh and the secret coming out wouldn't be the end of the story.**

**Just to ask do you guys think Lily should be with anyone and if you do then who?**


	22. Chapter 22

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except the OCs.

Brooke took a deep breath. She was unbelievably nervous.

Not about her question but about what their answer would be.

She had been thinking about permanent adoption for a while now.

Ever since she had the usual visit from the social worker. She had said that Brooke was a wonderful foster mother and that she was lucky to have so many people to help her.

Now she was sure of her decision and all she had to do was ask.

**-N & H-**

Haley sat at a table holding Nathan's hand.

When Brooke had told them about her decision they had practically jumped up and down with joy.

Ryan and Julie had become part of the family, of everyone's family.

The teenagers had not only become Davis' but they also had become Scott's.

Haley and Nathan needed Ryan and Julie to say yes. They needed to have the two of them in their lives.

**-L & P-**

Peyton bit her lip and reached for Lucas's hand. He took hers and squeezed it for reassurance.

They were as nervous as Brooke, maybe even more.

Before Ryan and Julie came, it was like there was a hole in their family and it felt like no one could fill it.

But then they had come. Suddenly their homes and their hearts were filled with joy and laughter again.

The two teenagers brought life and energy back to everyone.

They were now part of the family and part of Tree Hill.

Not adopting them wasn't even a question. There was no will she or wouldn't she. It was a when will she?

Lucas had been expecting Brooke to ask very soon because he saw how she would look off into space and think hard.

Brooke always tried to think with her heart when she made decisions but when it came to big things she had to think with both her head and heart.

Lucas saw this and knew that the subject of adoption was coming.

Peyton had seen it too and both of them found it hard to contain their excitement.

**-Normal-**

Brooke looked at Ryan and Julie and smiled. "I know that this is a big step for you guys and I know that you'll want to think about. I was wondering if you two…would like me to adopt you. Both of you."

The room was silent. Ryan and Julie stood their and stared at Brooke.

She…she wanted to adopt them? As in officially?

Ryan was the first to find his voice. "Brooke…I really don't know what to say."

Then the bell above the door rang and everyone turned to see who walked in.

Ryan and Julie's faces dropped.

Their worst nightmare had just walked in.

Hell had just walked in.

Carrie had just walked in.

"What do want?" Brooke asked angrily.

The Scott's were too shocked to answer.

How did that woman know when to ruin a perfect moment? How dare she just walk in like nothing had happened!

Carrie smiled nastily at everyone and said, "I'm here to get my kids back. Ryan, Julie, get in the car!"

Brooke's mouth dropped open as did most people.

These two wonderful children were hers! No way! No way could such a bitch raise such great people. Oh wait, of course! Ryan and Julie said they raised each other with no help from Carrie. That explains it.

Haley was this far from having a panic attack.

It was happing again.

Carrie was taking things from her. It was like she was taking Jamie all over again, like the first time **(A/N I'm talking about season 5, at the wedding).**

Ryan and Julie weren't her children but they might as well be.

Nathan kept a tight grip on Haley's hand.

This couldn't be happening.

Carrie couldn't be part of this. They were supposed to be free of her.

Then it dawned on him. Not only had she nearly ruined his family but she had taken away Ryan and Julie's childhood, making them take responsibility for each other way too soon.

She was going to pay for that.

Lucas glared at the woman standing at the door.

She couldn't get away this! She couldn't just appear and disappear in the children's lives.

She had two amazing children and she just ignored them. There was no chance that she was going to get custody of Ryan and Julie.

He wouldn't let that happen.

Peyton had now wrapped both her hands around Lucas's.

She glanced at Brooke who glanced back and in that moment they both knew that neither of them or anyone else would give up Ryan and Julie without a fight.

Peyton didn't care how many court cases it took or how much money it would cost Ryan and Julie are staying in Tree Hill with them. Peyton refused to let either of them go.

She, along with her husband and many more people, loved them to much for that to happen.

Brooke took a step forward and placed a hand on both Ryan and Julie's shoulders. "They're not going anywhere with you."

Carrie grinned again and said, "Of course they are. I want them. And they both know what happens when I don't get what I want."

Ryan swallowed and bit his lip. He couldn't let anything happen to these people. They all meant too much to him.

That the kind of person Carrie is. She never attacks you personally but goes for the people you love most.

They couldn't tell the secret now. He knew he would have to go with her.

But maybe he could do something good before he had to go back to his old life.

He took a step forward, letting Brooke's hand fall from his shoulder.

"Please," he begged, "please let Julie stay here. You never really wanted her. It was always me. Please?"

Julie shook her head. This could not be happing.

Her brother wasn't leaving her. He couldn't go off with Carrie and leave her here.

She loved Tree Hill and everyone in it but without Ryan it wouldn't seem right.

Carrie looked between Ryan and Julie and a smile came over her face. "That sounds fair. I suppose you want to say goodbye?"

Ryan nodded his head slowly.

"Well then meet me at the car. It's just across the street. Don't take to long." And with that Carrie turned around and walked out of the door, once again leaving disaster in her wake.

Ryan turned around and looked at all the sad and shocked faces.

He looked at the girl who, no matter who their parents are, would always be his little sister.

She had tears in her eyes and Ryan found that he had some of his own that were threatening to fall.

He crouched down in front of her and only the two of them knew the significance of that move.

When Julie was small and she would cry Ryan, being the taller of the two, would crouch in front of her so that they were the same height. Then he would talk to her and she would stop crying.

But as the years went by, Julie cried less and less and got taller as well so he had done it in a while.

She looked at him as the tears came down her cheeks.

"Ryan you can't go! She'll take you away and I'll never see you again. You can't leave me!" Julie said her voice breaking.

Ryan wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "I need to do this. I need you to let me protect you again."

Julie sobbed and managed to say, "You don't need to protect me!"

Ryan gave her a sad smile, "Yes I do. I need you to promise me a couple of things. I need to promise to stay in school and keep up with your drawing. I need you to promise me that you'll make the right choices in life. I need you to promise me that you'll make me proud."

Julie just sobbed again and threw her arms around her brother's neck.

He held on to her as she cried into his shoulder.

Slowly she let go of him and he kissed her forehead.

He stood up and walked over to his friends.

"Kyle, Rick, you two have to be the craziest people on the plant…and that's why you two are amazing friends."

For the first time in there lives Kyle and Rick had nothing to say. They just stood up and hugged their friend goodbye.

Ryan moved onto John. "You're not crying on me are you, man?" Ryan joked.

John let out a broken laugh.

"Look after Julie for me. Make sure she's alright," Ryan asked.

John nodded and hugged his old friend.

Ryan looked over at Tyler and Zane. "I want you two to make sure Julie smiles everyday, got it?"

The two boys nodded at the him and Ryan gained a respect from them both that he never lost.

Ryan turned to Lily and said, "Keep the boys out of trouble for me."

Lily smiled through the tears and said, "Keep out of trouble yourself."

They shared a smile and then he turned to his girlfriend.

Without a second though he wrapped his arms around her.

As Emily clung to him he whispered in her ear, "Know that I love you, always."

Emily smiled and whispered back "It's rude to say you're in love with a girl and then just leave!"

Ryan grinned and kissed her.

As she pulled away she said, "I love you too."

Ryan slowly let go of her and Lily wrapped an arm around her shoulders as the tears fell from her eyes.

Ryan looked at Brooke and said honestly, "When you have a kid of your own tell them that they're the luckiest kid in the world because they have one hell of a great mom!"

Brooke sobbed and hugged her foster son.

Ryan looked at Lucas and Peyton and wrapped an arm around both of them in a hug.

As they hugged him back he said, "I'm trusting Julie to the two of you. She's yours to protect now."

They nodded and smiled at him.

Finally he turned to Haley and Nathan.

They were losing him for the second time but they just didn't know it.

Maybe it's better that way. They wouldn't feel as much pain.

But they did.

It was as if they were losing a son all over again.

He wrapped his arms around him and they hugged him with everything they had.

Tears came to Ryan's eyes. He was being made leave them all over again.

"I love you two. If anyone could be my parents it would be both of you."

Nathan looked at him and said, "And we would be honoured to have you as a son."

Haley's cheeks were stained with tears as she hugged him. She heard the sorrow in Nathan's voice.

"She's not going to let you come back to Tree Hill is she?" Haley asked.

Ryan shook his head.

He hugged his parents again before walking back to Julie.

Fresh tears came to her eyes and she hugged him again.

But this time she wouldn't let go.

She held on to his arms and he couldn't pull her off without hurting her.

Tears fell freely down his face as he looked at John and said, "Please!"

John held back a sob as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Julie's waist.

He gently took her hands from Ryan and held them at her side.

Ryan slowly walked back to the door. He took one last look and then walked out with tears streaming down his face.

Julie's legs came out from under her and both she and John ended up sitting on the floor.

She cried and cried and John tried to comfort her.

Then her Scott genes kicked in and she got out of John's hold and stood up.

There was no way Ryan was going without a fight.

She walked over to Lucas and pleaded with him. "Please Lucas, we have to stop her. Let's get the car and go after her! We can't just let him go!"

Lucas stared at the girl before him. She had tears in her eyes and other running down her cheeks. He wanted to stop her crying and to see her smile again.

He looked over at Peyton and then Nathan and Haley.

Lucas and Nathan nodded and they stood up.

Julie smiled and said, "Thank you!"

They walked out the door and saw Carrie's car diving off with Ryan in the driver's seat.

"I'm coming" Julie said as Lucas and Nathan got in the car.

She hopped in the back seat as did Haley, Peyton and Brooke.

Lucas turned to say no but Brooke pointed at him and said, "Don't try and stop us Scott!"

Lucas turned back around and Nathan drove them all after Carrie's car.

**-Carrie's car-**

Ryan felt more tears coming but he wouldn't let them come out.

He had wiped his face before he got in the car. He wasn't going to let her see him cry.

He drove down the road as Carrie continued to talk.

"I found a really nice place for us in New York. I can still do business from there so money's not a problem. You drive and I'll give directions. You know I hate driving for a long time."

Ryan kept his eyes firmly on the road in front of him. "Fine" he said harshly.

Carrie frowned. "Do you have a problem with that? And look at me when I'm taking to you!"

Ryan kept his eyes on the road.

Carrie's temper grew and she gripped Ryan's face and turned his head to look at her.

**-The Scott's car-**

Those next few minutes were longest minutes for Julie. It was like everything went in slow motion.

She said in the middle of the back seat, looking out between the front seats.

They were right behind Carrie's car. They would wait till a wide road so that they could over take the car and stop them.

Julie saw Carrie's arm reach over and grab Ryan's face.

Because of that Ryan didn't see the wide pool of water that had taken over the road.

The car skidded and Ryan lost control of it.

At that speed there was no way to stop the car.

It skidded across the road and smashed into a tree.

Nathan stopped the car and there was silence.

Then Julie scrambled out of car and started running towards the car.

Peyton was right behind her and caught her. "No don't touch him! Not until the ambulance arrive."

Brooke was already on the phone calling 911.

Nathan and Lucas ran over to the car and looked in. They didn't touch anything but what they saw made them sick to their stomachs.

The car was a wreck. Metal and glass were moulded together. Carrie and Ryan were both unconscious.

But Haley didn't see the wreck of the car. She saw the blood. All the blood.

Peyton saw it too and tried to press Julie's head to her shoulder to stop her from seeing it.

But Julie just stood in Peyton's arms and screamed.

She screamed again and again.

She screamed her brother's name so loud that some people swore they heard it at the café.

Many of them said it was the most terrifying sound they had ever heard.

**-Minutes later-**

The paramedic took his radio and spoke into it.

"We've got a car crash on the west road leading out of Tree Hill. There are two occupants of the car. One male, one female. One is unresponsive but still alive; the other is responsive and alive."

He looked over at the people sitting in one of the two ambulances. The adults looked drawn and tried and the young girl looked worried and exhausted.

The man's partner was beside the responsive victim checking him over.

"Can you tell me your name?" the paramedic asked.

The person just blinked at him, the blood from their head wound spilling over their face.

"Can you tell me your name?" he repeated.

"My…name…" the victim asked.

The paramedic smiled and said, "Yes, your name!"

"My…name…is…"

**Ok so first everybody calm down. There's no need to glare at me like that. I promise that the secret will come out soon. Like next chapter soon. Plus the story need****ed a little drama. Sorry about the cliff hanger but I couldn't resist.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except the OCs.

**TA-DA! The chapter you've all been asking for. I hope you like it.**

"My name is James Lucas Scott."

The paramedic nodded but then Ryan blacked out.

Julie ran through the doors of the hospital with the Scott's and Brooke behind her. She went to the reception desk and said to the nurse there, "Um, my brother came in a while ago. He and my…mom were in a car accident."

The nurse nodded and before she could say anything a police officer came up to them and interrupted.

"I can take it from here," he said.

He turned to Julie and said, "Your brother and mom are in a special area of the hospital. We have them guarded by some more officers."

"Why?" Brooke asked.

The officer turned back to Julie and asked her, "I'm afraid to say that your mom is wanted in many states for gang involvement, drug possession and possibly even murder."

Julie frowned at him. "Well I could have told you that!"

The officer replied, "That's what we were thinking. If you and your brother know anything about these crimes then you could be helpful in our investigation. We have your brother guarded because we what to make sure he and you can give us a statement against your mom. We want you to go and stay with him. Your mom is in one room, your brother is down the hall from hers and there is a waiting room beside your brother's room."

"How is my brother?" Julie asked.

The officer sighed and he said, "You'll have to ask the doctor for details but from what I know…he's in a coma."

Julie felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. A coma?

Lucas put his hands on Julie's shoulders and turned her around to face him. "Hey, he'll be all right," he said softly, "Ryan will wake up. Take it from someone who was once in a coma."

Julie sobbed and said, "He has to wake up Lucas! I know that I have all of you but Ryan…Ryan is everything to me. He's the person who taught me right from wrong, the person who would read me bedtime stories and he's the person who helped me with my homework. He's the strongest person I know! And even though I would deny it, he's the person I look up to most. He has to be ok!"

Lucas wrapped his arms around her and let her cry.

Julie though she had cried herself out today but no the tears still came.

Nathan looked at her and said, "Talk to him Julie, that's how I woke up Lucas."

Julie nodded and she went with the officer up to Ryan's room.

The hospital had such a clean smell. It was all shiny and white.

She and the officer took the elevator up to the top floor and walked down a long hallway.

They got to a set of doors with an officer outside them.

The officer with Julie showed ID and they walked through the doors.

Suddenly all Julie heard was their footsteps.

There were no patients in this small area of the hospital. It was a single hallway with four doors, one far apart from the other two, which were side by side. The other was down at the far end of the hallway.

There was an officer sitting out in the hallway and she nodded to the two.

The officer with Julie stayed in the hallway while Julie walked to one of the doors.

She gasped and tears came again as she saw her brother lying unconscious on the bed.

"Excuse me?" a voice said.

Julie turned to see a woman in a white coat standing behind her.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Howard."

Julie frowned and asked, "Are you Zane's mom?"

The doctor smiled and she said, "Yes I am. My son talks about you and your brother. Ryan sounds like a very fine young man."

Julie smiled and replied, "He is."

"We think Ryan may have banged his head off the steering wheel. He's breathing by himself and all tests are clear but he's just unconscious. We don't know for how long. As for your mother…"

"I don't care about her!" Julie said spitefully.

"She's asking for you and your brother," Dr Howard.

"Tell her to go screw herself!" Julie replied.

Dr. Howard looked at her and said, "You know what…I was so hoping you were going to say that."

Julie smiled at the woman and Dr Howard smiled back and nodded her goodbye as she walked down the hall.

Julie nodded back and went into her brother's room.

She dragged a chair over to the side of the bed and sat down.

She stared at Ryan.

He had a drip in his arm and a tube in his nose.

Julie sighed. How many nightmares had she had like this?

She knew that Carrie's illegal jobs would end up badly. But Carrie still kept going.

As they got older she forced them to come along on her 'business' ventures. She even wanted Ryan to take over the 'family business' when he was older.

But both of them knew that they weren't going to do that. That's why school was so important to them. It was their way out. Collage was their out.

Now Ryan was lying in a hospital bed. And Julie had no idea what to say to him.

After a few minutes Julie took a deep breath. The truth seemed a good thing to say.

"Hey it's me Julie. It's so weird seeing you like this. You were always the strong one and now you have a tube sticking into your arm. It doesn't seem right."

Julie paused and wiped more tears away.

She gave a shaky smile and said, "Do remember when I was little and you would rent the Disney movies for me. And even though you hated them you would still watch them all with me? Well I'll tell you a secret. I never watched those films for the princesses, or prince charmings or the talking animals. I watched them because they always had happy endings. And that's what I want the most; a happy ending."

"We're so close to it Ryan! We have our parents, great friends and family. You have a girlfriend and I have a boyfriend! But if you don't wake up then the happy ending will just be…wrong. No one deserves happiness more then you and me after Carrie! You said that you are always the strong one. So prove it! Wake up and tell me every things going to be ok!"

There was no response from Ryan.

He just kept his eyes closed.

Julie sighed and said, "There's no hurry. I wouldn't leave you."

The officers sat outside the room.

"You should see this sir," the junior officer said.

The senior officer took a paper from her and he read it.

He turned to the junior officer and said, "He said his name was James Scott! The boy who missing with his cousin?"

The junior nodded and said, "They don't look like her. Neither of them looks like their mother."

The senior officer asked, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I wouldn't put this Carrie woman past kidnapping. She changed her name to Jackson, who said she didn't change the children's names as well."

The senior officer sighed. "Get a DNA sample from all three of them. Get the lab to compare them to each other and then compare the children's to missing person's cases. Try the Scott case first."

The junior officer nodded.

Julie slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room.

She was in the waiting room beside Ryan's room. She was lying on the couch, a blanket over her.

She sat up with a sigh and noticed something that wasn't there before.

There was a large basket sitting on the table. It was filled with food and drink for Karen's café. Julie could recognise the smell of Karen's food anywhere.

The junior officer walked into the room and smiled at her. "We usually don't let outside food in the situations but the people downstairs in the lobby said there was no way that they were letting you eat hospital food. They put up a good fight too."

Julie's face dropped. "Oh no Lucas and Nathan didn't start a fight, did they?"

The junior officer laughed. "No but the three women downstairs nearly knocked out three of our best officers. The two men had to hold them back."

Julie laughed, "I'm actually not surprised. Those are three very strong women."

The junior officer smiled at the girl. "By the way, your brother's says try the muffins."

Julie gasped, "He's awake!"

The officer nodded. "Since about three hours ago. He said not to wake you because you stay up all night with him."

Julie smiled and jumped off the couch.

She ran to the door of Ryan's room and saw her brother sitting up.

He lowered the book he was reading and smiled at her.

She smiled and ran into the room. She threw her arms around his neck and he hugged tightly.

"I'm going anywhere Baby Scott. I want that happy ending too," Ryan said to her.

Julie smiled and placed her head on Ryan's shoulder.

The junior officer standing outside the door wiped a tear from her eye and went back to her job.

Julie stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby. When she turned the corner and stopped.

The lobby had chairs and couches and spread across them all were the Scott's, Brooke and Owen, Skills, Mouth, Karen, Lily, Emily, Tyler, Zane, Rick, Kyle and John.

Peyton was the first to notice her. "Julie!" she said as she shot up and hugged the girl.

More hugs followed and Julie asked, "How long have you guys been here?"

"As long as you," Tyler said kissing her cheek.

"How's Ryan?" Haley asked the worry clear in her voice.

Julie smiled. "He woke up this morning," she said, as everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"The police say that someone can come up this time with me. Ryan and I don't mind who."

But Julie knew who Ryan wanted to come. It was the same person that Brooke said.

"You go Haley," Brooke said.

Haley looked at her and asked, "Are you sure?"

Brooke nodded and said, "I've got all the hospital paperwork to get through anyway."

Haley smiled and took Julie's hand. Together they walked to the elevator and went up to the top floor.

The guard let them though and they walked to Ryan's room.

When he saw them Ryan's face lit up and he said, "Haley!"

Haley smiled and walked over to hug him.

She wrapped her arms around him and let out a sigh of relief.

"I was worried there," she said.

Ryan smiled, "I was kind of freaking out too."

Julie smiled and joined them at the bed.

The next few hours were passed by talking and eating but Haley's hand never left Ryan's and because of it, the smile never left his face.

Then the senior officer walked in with a serious face.

"What's going on?" Haley asked, noticing his formal manner.

"I'm afraid you mom has…disappeared," he said.

There was a shocked silence in the room and then Ryan said in a tight voice, "How?"

The officer cleared his throat. "It seems her…associates used the door at the bottom of the hall when my officers were preoccupied.

"You're kidding us?"

"No I'm not. But I still need both of you to make a statement against her for the crimes I mentioned."

"Well you can add kidnapping to that list!" Julie said.

Ryan looked at his sister as did Haley and the officer.

"What?" the officer asked.

Julie looked at Ryan and then he looked at the officer.

"That's right. Carrie kidnapped James and Erica Scott."

Haley's hand tighten around Ryan's.

"Do you have proof?" the officer asked.

"Yes. If you get Carrie then we can promise you that James and Erica will testify at her court case," Ryan said.

"And where are James and Erica Scott?"

"You're looking at them."

There was complete silence in the room.

Haley stared at Ryan, then at Julie but then her eyes went back to Ryan.

The officer sighed, "We already had our suspicions so we have ordered a DNA test. It'll be here within the hour so then we'll know for sure."

With that he walked out the door.

Ryan finally looked at Haley and saw she was just staring at him.

"Haley I'm sorry we shocked you but I swear we're telling the truth! You can check the DNA test when it comes…"

He didn't finish as Haley jumped up and hugged him. He hugged her back and heard her crying.

She pulled back and placed her hand on his cheek.

"I don't need a DNA test," she said, "I've known you were Jamie since you walked into the Tree Hill gym that night. I just kept telling myself I was wrong. But I wasn't, was I?"

Ryan shook his head and hugged her again.

"I remembered you," Ryan said, "when I saw you in the gym. You looked so familiar."

Haley kissed her son's forehead and heard a sniff.

They turned to see Julie wiping away tears. "Sorry," she said, "It's just such a beautiful moment."

They laughed and Haley hugged her niece.

"Yes well you'll have your beautiful moment too with your mom."

Julie groaned.

"What is it?" Haley asked.

"I'm not aloud to leave this section of the hospital until Ryan does. It took ages to get them to let me go to you guys the first time. I don't want to keep this secret any longer that we have to. Will you tell everyone for us Haley?"

Haley nodded and stared at Julie.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Julie asked.

"You really do have you dad's smile," Haley said softly.

Julie smiled at the comment.

Haley sighed and looked at Ryan again.

"I'll be back soon," she said.

Ryan nodded and she hugged him again.

Then she walked out the door and down to lobby to tell the secret.

She couldn't believe this. She had him back. Jamie was back! And he's such a wonderful person, Haley thought.

Excitement and happiness were spilling out of her.

She walked into the lobby and turned the corner to see everyone.

"Haley, how are they?" Nathan asked.

Haley couldn't keep the smile from her face.

"What's going on Haley?" Lucas asked.

Haley answered, "Ryan and Julie aren't Carrie's children."

"What?!!" Brooke yelled.

Frowning, the nurse at the reception desk said, "Sssshhh!"

"Shush yourself! We've got big news here!" Brooke said.

Haley smiled and wiped more happy tears away.

"Both of them knew but they just couldn't tell anyone. They were kidnapped."

"Like Jamie and Erica," Peyton said.

Haley nodded. "Exactly like Jamie and Erica."

"This is great! I knew they couldn't be hers," Nathan said.

Haley smiled widely and said, "That's because they're ours."

Everyone looked at her strangely.

"Uh Haley…what do mean?" Peyton asked.

"Ryan and Julie are Jamie and Erica."

No one said a word.

"Are…are you sure?" Lucas asked.

Haley nodded. "Yes. Ryan and Julie told me, the police have a DNA test ordered and plus, remember the basketball game? We knew Ryan was Jamie we just though we were wrong."

Peyton smiled and tears came to her eyes.

Lucas smiled as well and hugged his wife.

Nathan looked at Haley.

"We got them back Nathan. Jamie is back!"

Nathan smiled and pulled Haley into his arms.

John stood up and motioned for the others to follow.

Emily, Tyler, Zane, Kyle and Rick walked a little distance with him and then Kyle said, "Why are we leaving?"

"Look I get that we're all shocked but I think that this is a family thing. We'll talk to them later."

"I can't believe they lied to us," Tyler said.

"I think it was pretty hard for them," John said as they all walked out of the hospital.

"Come on," Haley said.

All the adults walked towards the elevator and went up to the top floor.

Julie and Ryan were in his room when they heard shouting coming from the hallway.

Julie got up and peeked out the door.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked.

"Our parents are arguing with a police officer. Oh that doesn't look good!"

"What?!!" Ryan asked.

Julie looked back at him and said, "Let's just say the only thing stopping Brooke from assaulting that officer is Owen holding her back!"

Ryan laughed out loud and Julie looked back out into the hallway.

She saw Lucas talking with the officer.

The officer nodded and Lucas smiled at his friends.

Then he turned around and saw Julie looking at them.

He smiled and ran up the hallway to her.

Peyton came after him and they both stopped in front of her.

They just stared at her tears filling their eyes.

"Are just going to stare at me or hug me?" Julie said smiling.

Lucas smiled and said, "You're too much like your mom."

Peyton laughed and they both pulled Julie into a warm embrace.

"You're back baby girl, you're back," whispered Lucas.

Julie tried to talk but she couldn't find the words.

She just clung onto her parents and rested her head on Lucas's shoulder.

Nathan and Haley walked past the smiling, and into Ryan's room.

Haley walked over to him and took his hand.

Nathan stood there for a minute.

Then he said, "We Scott men have a problem with staying out of trouble, don't we?"

Ryan smiled and replied, "I knew it was genetic."

Nathan laughed and went over to the bed.

He hugged his son and pulled Haley into it.

"Now this is the way it should be," Haley said.

"And this is the way it will stay. All of us together," Nathan said.


	24. Chapter 24

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**So I'm going to start calling them Jamie and Erica now, just to let you guys know.**

Jamie slowly stretched out his muscles.

His right arm had been damaged in the crash but thankfully it was just bruised.

The doctor had advised him not to put strain on it for a few days and he had been forced to keep it still since then. But now his arm was healed and he could use it again.

Apart from the short coma and the injured arm, Jamie had come out of the crash with just some cuts and bruises. He considered himself very lucky.

Jamie sat up in bed and stretched again.

He pushed back the covers and got to his feet.

Haley, Nathan, Lucas and Peyton had refused to let Jamie and Erica out of their sight since they found out about their identities, so they had decided to stay over at Brooke's house.

Jamie and Erica had both agreed that Jamie would stay with Haley and Nathan and Erica would stay with Lucas and Peyton.

Jamie had been relucted but Erica convinced him by saying, "_It's time for change. We don't have to be joined at the hip anymore, Jamie. You will always be my brother and I will always be your sister, but maybe it's time that we get to know the other members of our family." _

They were moving into their different houses that day.

Jamie walked out into the hallway and padded down to the guest room where Nathan and Haley were staying in.

The door was open so Jamie leaned on the door frame and watched his parents.

Nathan had one arm around Haley and Haley's head was on Nathan's chest.

Jamie sighed happily and saw Haley stirring.

She woke up and with bleary eyes she looked at her son. She smiled and said, "Good morning Jamie."

Nathan grunted and said in his sleep, "No more marshmallows!"

Haley and Jamie bit back their laughter. "He always did have weird dreams," Haley said.

"Maybe we should help him out of his nightmare," Jamie suggested.

Haley grinned and nodded.

Jamie walked around to Nathan's side of the bed. "SLAM DUNK!" he yelled as he jumped in the air and landed on Nathan.

Nathan woke up with a jolt and looked around quickly. He saw Jamie and Haley laughing and playfully grabbed Jamie.

Jamie wormed his way out of Nathan's arms and sat at the end of the bed. He drew his knees up and rested his arms on them.

"You used to do that even when you were a kid. I was hoping you would grow out of it," Nathan said, teasing.

Jamie smiled and asked, "Was I a good kid?"

Haley nodded. "You got along with everyone. You loved going to basketball games and you loved hanging out with Skills and Lucas and your dad. And you always wanted to do the right thing."

Jamie's smile dropped and he said quietly, "Things change."

Haley frowned and placed her hand on Jamie's arm. "What's wrong?"

Jamie looked up at them. _"I can't tell them. They wouldn't understand. Would they?"_ he thought.

"I've…I've done some pretty bad things. Things that I'm not proud of. Things I had to do to protect Erica," he said.

Nathan placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "If you did these things to protect Erica then that's a good reason. Don't feel ashamed of them. If you had the choice would you would you do them again?"

Jamie nodded straight away. "Then don't feel bad. And maybe one day you can tell us about these things."

Jamie smiled again.

Nathan then looked passed him and as he stared out the door, his eyes grew wide.

"Whoa!" he said.

Jamie turned around and he and Haley realized that it wasn't a good whoa.

Brooke was standing in the doorway in her pyjamas. Her hair was sticking out at weird angles and she had dark bags under her eyes. She had her arms crossed and she was tapping her foot on the floor.

"Who the fudge yelled slam dunk?!" she asked.

Jamie slowly raised his hand but after the glare that Brooke sent him, he quickly put his hand back down.

"I was up most of the fudging night working on sketches. I would appriate if you would keep it the fudge down so I can get some fudging sleep."

They all nodded and then Haley said, "What is with the fudge word."

"Well since I've been looking after Jamie and Erica, I've had to defend them because they fight so much. My mouth is like a gutter. So I'm saying fudge instead of a swear word. Do you know how many fights your son gets into?"

Jamie smiled sheepishly. "What can I say? I'm a people person."

Brooke turned around and as she walked back to her room they could hear her muttering, "Ya, fudging people person. I'll fudging give him a people person."

Nathan grinned and said, "Wow, her mouth really is like a gutter."

**-Later that day-**

Erica took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, Tyler answered the door.

"Hi," Erica said.

Tyler looked at her with an expressionless face. "Now who am I talking to? Julie or Erica?"

Erica sighed and looked behind her.

Jamie was leaning against the fence and motioned for her to keep going.

She turned back around and looked at Tyler.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for keeping the secret for so long and I'm sorry for not trusting you with it. But I'm not sorry for wanting to put Carrie in prison. And if you can't forgive me, then…then that's ok. I don't expect you to."

Tyler sighed and stared at her. "I think that maybe that I was upset because it was like you couldn't trust me. I guess that I have a bruised ego."

Erica smiled at him and said, "So am I forgiven?"

Tyler smiled and hugged her. Erica wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder.

After a few minutes, they parted and just as they were about to kiss, Tyler stopped.

He looked over at Jamie and then said, "If I kiss you, will Jamie punch me?"

Erica laughed. "No. He might kick you in the gut, that's all."

Tyler's eyes grew wide. "I've seen your brother fight. Don't scare me like that!"

Erica smiled again and hugged her boyfriend.

**-N & H house-**

Jamie slowly opened the door and looked into the room. Once again memories came to him and he recognised the furniture and decorations.

His room looked exactly the same as when he was four.

He slowly walked around the room, examining everything.

He looked up to see Haley standing in the doorway, smiling. "You'll have to stay in the guest room until we get you new furniture. I don't think you'll be able to fit in your old bed!"

Jamie smiled as Haley walked back downstairs.

His phone rang and he took it out of his pocket.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Dude! I have the biggest book shelf in my room!" Erica replied.

Jamie laughed and said, "So I guess your happy then?"

"Abousoltly! How's your room?"

"All the furniture's really small so I have to get new pieces. But the room is still cool."

"Have you talked to Emily?"

"No. She wouldn't talk to me."

"You have to talk to her. It can't be that hard."

"It IS hard! I am afraid that if I make one wrong move, she'll hate me."

"Did…did you just say you were…afraid?"

"Yes, so?"

"No nothing. Just hang in there Jamie. She'll forgive you."

"How do you know that?"

"Uh, because I'm genius, duh!"

"Ha, ha, very funny!"

"I'll talk to you later."

Jamie hung up and went to put his bag into the guest room.

**-The next morning-**

Jamie picked up Erica and they walked to school together.

Erica was chewing on her lip nervously and Jamie was tapping his fingers on his leg.

First day at school as Jamie and Erica Scott.

They walked to the front of the school and already there were whispers from the few students that were outside.

John was sitting on the steps and when he saw them he jumped up and jogged to them.

"I thought you guys would like some support," John said.

Jamie smiled at him and all three of them walked into the school.

As they walked through the doors the whispers grew. People looked at them and then whispered back to their friends.

Jamie scowled. "The idiots wouldn't even say anything to our faces. They just say it behind our backs."

"Calm down Jamie. We don't need another fight."

They walked to Erica's locker and then Jamie and John went to their homeroom.

Just as Erica opened the locker door, Zane came running up to her.

"Hey, Erica! Guess what?"

"Oh hey Zane. I met your mom in the hospital. She's really cool. What the big news?" Erica asked.

"Thanks! Anyway I was at a skateboarding competition at the weekend and I came in first."

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks again! But the thing is there was a bonus prize for the best skateboard design. And I won that as well! But since it's your design you should get the prize money."

Erica shook her head.

"I can't-."

"Yes you can, it's your design! And all of my skateboarding friends want your designs on their boards."

Erica took a white envelope from Zane, put it in her book and placed the book in her locker.

"Thanks Zane," she said.

Zane smiled and said, "No problem. And may I say for the first time…you rock Scott!"

Erica smiled and closed her locker.

"Hey" Tyler said, walking up to her.

"Hey handsome," she replied.

They hugged and as they parted, a teacher came out of her classroom.

"We know, we know. No public displays of affection," Erica said.

The teacher opened her mouth but closed it again. She gave up and just walked off.

**-Lunch time-**

Jamie picked at his food.

John and Lily exchanged worried looks and started at him.

The three of them were sitting at a table away from the platform. It wasn't that they weren't welcome; it was that the whispers were too much.

Then two trays were placed down on their table. Kyle and Rick sat down and looked at Jamie.

There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke.

"We've…been thinking," Rick said.

"We get that you had to lie to us. And we're sorry if we haven't been talking to you. It's been a bit of a shock to us," Kyle said.

Jamie smiled. "Ya, it was kind of a shock to me as well."

Rick and Kyle grinned at their friend.

Kyle added, "Neither of us wanted to lose your friendship. I mean we did watch a chick flick for you, spy on you sister for you and I fell out of a tree for you! Which still hurts by the way."

Rick's eyes grew wide and he looked at Kyle.

"YOU still hurt?!? I'M the one you fell on!"

"GUYS! We have had this conversation a million times. I'm tried of it!" Lily said.

Jamie smiled at his friends. Then he remembered someone was still missing.

**-After school-**

Erica raised her fist to the door. She hesitated and then knocked.

A minute later, Emily answered the door.

The older girl sighed and said, "You're here to talk to me about Jamie."

Erica nodded and Emily let her in. The two of them walked into the sitting room and stayed standing.

"You haven't talked to my brother since the hospital."

"I don't know what to say to him."

"Maybe you could tell him that you don't hate him."

Emily frowned and replied, "I could never hate him."

"Really, because he thinks you do! And his terrified of that thought."

Erica bit her lip. "Where we used to live, there were a lot of scary people. And I've seen my brother stare down them all. They never scared him. Ever. He was always brave, always tough. But you? You have scared him in a way he never thought possible. He's afraid to make one wrong move and having you run away."

Emily sighed and sat down.

"You love him. It shouldn't matter if his name is Ryan or Jamie."

With that Erica walked out the door.

**-Karen's café-**

"Hey! That's the biggest 'small' bite that I've seen!" Erica said to Lucas.

The chocolate cake sat on counter between them as they fought.

"It's not my fault! I'm hungry!" Lucas argued.

"Whatever!" Erica said, taking another bite out of her cake.

"Well, I think I should be able to have some of this cake considering that I bought it," Lucas said.

Peyton laughed and replied, "You should know Lucas, it doesn't matter if you did or didn't buy it. If you bought it for me or Erica, then it's ours."

Erica smiled and looked out the window of Karen's cafe.

Jamie was standing there with Emily.

They had been talking for a few minutes.

Then they both smiled and Jamie wrapped his arms around her.

Erica smiled as well and had another piece of cake.

Jamie and Emily walked in and they sat down at the counter beside Lucas, Peyton and Erica.

Then the others came in and a spontaneous party started.

**-An hour later-**

Jamie sat at one of the booths and looked down at the girl in his arms.

Emily was talking to Lily as she sat with Jamie's arm around her waist.

He leant down and placed a kiss on her head.

Emily looked up at him and kissed him on the lips.

Lily smiled. "Aaaww! You boyfriend's so sweet! I want one!" she pouted.

The couple laughed and Jamie said, "Well I heard Kyle likes you."

Lily hid a smile and said, "Whatever!"

Emily grinned. "Don't give me that. All three of us know you like him too."

Just them Jamie's phone rang and he stood up.

"Give me a minute," he said.

Jamie walked out the door to escape the noise from inside and answer the phone.

"Hello?" he said.

A look of confusion came onto his face as the other person replied.

Jamie was quiet for a second, trying to think of something to say. Finally he asked the big question that was going through his head.

"Didn't I shoot you?"


	25. Chapter 25

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the OCs.

**I wrote this chapter and the ****previous one while I was on holidays but I didn't get around to posting them until now. That's why I have this chapter up so quickly. **

Erica shook her head again. "No. No way!" she said firmly.

Jamie sighed and repeated for the seventh time, "I have no choice Erica. I have to go back. Charlie needs me. He needs us."

Erica paced up and down her room. "If you think that I'm letting you go back to our old neighbourhood then you're out of you mind. Who knows what could happen to you!"

Jamie got up off the chair and put his hands on Erica's shoulders. "I'm going back. You can't change my mind. Don't worry about me."

With that he walked out of the room and out of the house.

Erica sat on her bed and put her head in her hands.

This wasn't good.

Missing a whole day of school with no explanation, not telling Nathan and Haley where he was going. He didn't even tell her the whole story; he just said that Charlie had needed help.

Don't worry about him? Ya right, like that was going to happen.

**-A few hours later-**

Jamie got off the bus and immediately started walking. The less time he spent in his old neighbourhood the better.

He saw the familiar street sign and hurried down the street to a blue house. He knocked on the wooden door and waited for an answer.

A man, who looked about thirty, opened the door.

He looked at Jamie and smirked. "Long time no see Ryan."

Jamie just looked him in the eyes.

"Let me guess what you're going to say," the man said, "I look pretty good for a dead man."

Jamie smirked back. "No actually you look like crap. Rehab didn't work, then?"

The man just grumbled and let Jamie in.

Jamie walked into the house and stood in the living room. "By the way, I didn't expect you to be a dead man. I shot you in the arm and you got to the hospital in time."

The man glared at him. "Thanks for that," he said dryly.

Jamie glared right back and the man flinched slightly.

"I had a damn good reason for shooting you. Not only did you bring a gun into my house but the second I refuse to give you money, you grab Julie and try to get money off her. Did you really think a nine year old had the kind of money you needed?" Jamie spat at him.

The man just looked away and sat on the armchair. "Katrina's dead," he said quietly.

Jamie froze.

"And so is Peter."

Jamie just stood still.

Peter and Katrina were the only adults that were nice to him when he and Erica when they lived with Carrie. Their son Charlie was like their little brother.

Now all the small five year old had left was an uncle that was addicted to gambling and who knows what else.

Jamie frowned and asked, "Where's Charlie?"

The man gestured upstairs.

Jamie went up to Charlie's room and smiled as he saw the little guy for the first time in months.

The red headed boy looked up and a huge grin appeared on his face.

"Uncle Ryan!" he said, jumping into the older boy's arms.

Jamie hugged him tightly. "How you doing, buddy?" he asked.

Charlie shrugged. "Daddy went away a while ago and Mommy went to see him a few days ago. Uncle Richard said that they're not coming back."

Jamie held back his tears as he said, "Well, I have a surprise for you."

Charlie smiled and asked "What is it?"

"You're coming to live with me and Auntie Julie."

Charlie's smile went from ear to ear.

"But there are some things you need to know, ok? Auntie Julie and I have been…pretending. Our names aren't Ryan and Julie. You can call us Jamie and Erica now."

Charlie smiled and nodded.

Jamie added, "And Carrie isn't our mommy. She was pretending too."

Charlie's smile dropped. "It was Carrie," he whispered.

"What?" Jamie asked.

"Carrie came and wanted my mommy to give her a new name but my mommy wouldn't give it to her. So Carrie took out one of those ugly gun things and put it too mommy's head, here."

Charlie put his hand at the back of Ryan's head.

"And there was a loud noise and my mommy fell down."

Jamie sighed and hugged the boy again.

He placed Charlie back on the floor.

"Hey, why don't you put some clothes in a bag and I'll be downstairs waiting, ok?"

The boy nodded and Jamie went back down into the living room.

Richard was still sitting in the same chair.

"Carrie killed Katrina?"

Richard nodded.

"And Peter?" Richard sighed.

"Peter was killed in a police raid at a warehouse. They were moving some stock and someone tipped the cops off. There was a shoot out and five people died, including Peter."

Jamie scoffed. "Stock? Is that what you call drugs these days?"

Richard said nothing; he just stared at the floor.

"Charlie's coming with me," Jamie said firmly.

Before Richard could protest, Jamie continued. "Don't think for a second that I would leave him alone with you. You can barely take care of yourself, let alone him. He's coming with me and that's final."

Richard just sat back in the armchair and gave up.

Charlie came down the stairs, dragging a bag after him.

Jamie smiled at him and put the bag over his own shoulder. He picked up Charlie and walked to the door.

"She'll come after her you know," Richard said.

Jamie turned to him.

"Carrie wants revenge now. She will stop at nothing to hurt you for leaving her. And the best way to hurt you is to hurt Julie. You better keep at close eye on that little sister of yours."

Jamie said coldly, "I always do."

With one last look at Richard he walked out the door.

"Are we going to where you live now?" Charlie asked.

Jamie replied, "Yes, we just need to pick one more thing up first."

They walked into the next street and Jamie shuddered as he saw his old house. Too many bad memories were in that house.

But it wasn't the house Jamie wanted to see.

It was the car parked in the driveway.

The young man smiled as he saw his black Impala. **(A/N Like the one in Supernatural)** He loved that car nearly as much as he loved Erica.

Well, at least that is what Erica always said.

"I can't believe no one has stolen it," he muttered.

Charlie laughed. "Don't you know the rule? No one touches Ryan Jackson's little sister or his car. Everyone around here knows that."

Jamie smiled and took the keys out of his pocket. He had brought them with him to Tree Hill in the hopes that he would get his car back.

He buckled Charlie in, threw his bag in beside him and sat in the driver's seat.

Jamie ran his hands over the steering wheel.

"Oh I missed you so much!" he said to the car.

Charlie looked at him, frowning. "You're so weird, Uncle Jamie."

As the drove out of the town, people began to whisper and talk amounst themselves. Ryan was back? The toughest, scariest, most powerful person in town was back.

Jamie gripped the steering wheel and kept driving.

"Don't worry Charlie. We'll be in Tree Hill in no time."

**-Tree Hill-**

Erica sat at the counter in Karen's café, biting her nail.

Peyton looked at her and frowned. "Erica if you keep biting that you're going to chew off your finger."

Erica sighed and took her hand away from her mouth. "I can't help it! I'm worried about Jamie."

Lucas sat on her other side. "Where is Jamie? I know you said that he went back to your old neighbourhood but where exactly is your old neighbourhood?"

Erica shook her head, "A place where I never want to go again."

Peyton stroked her daughter's hair. "I think that you should relax. Jamie is capable of taking care of himself."

Erica sighed and smiled. "You're right. Thanks Mom thanks Dad."

Peyton gasped and Lucas smiled widely.

Erica looked between the two of them. "What?" she asked.

"You called us Mom and Dad," Lucas said.

Erica nodded. "Of course I did. That's who you are, right?"

Peyton nodded. "Ya. That's exactly what we are."

Erica smiled shyly. "I like being a family with you guys."

Lucas wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We like it too."

"Whoa! That is a nice car!" Rick said.

They all turned to see a black Impala parking across the road.

Erica smiled and stood up. "Jamie's back!"

John looked at her and asked, "That's Jamie's car?!?"

Erica nodded. "Yup, he loves that car just as much as me."

Lily looked outside at the two people getting out of the car. "Who's the kid?" she asked.

Jamie and Charlie crossed the road and then Charlie ran into the café and yelled, "Auntie Erica!"

Haley spat out her drink and Nathan's mouth dropped open.

"What did the kid call her?!?" Nathan said in a high voice.

Erica picked the little boy and hugged him.

"Auntie Erica, Uncle Jamie said I'm going to live with you!" Charlie said excitably.

Haley breathed out a sigh of relief.

Brooke laughed at the two of them. "You two are such hypocrites."

Jamie walked in the door and dropped Charlie's bag on the ground.

Erica looked at him and put Charlie down. "Hey Charlie, why don't you go back into the kitchen with our Grandma Karen and get some cake!"

The little boy took Karen's hand and went into the kitchen.

Erica turned back to Jamie. "So he's living with us now? What do Katrina and Peter have to say about this?"

Jamie sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Nothing. Unless you can talk to dead people."

Erica gasped. "They're dead. Since when?"

Jamie replied, "Peter died in a police raid and Katrina…Katrina died a few days ago. Carrie did it."

Erica shook her head. "Poor Charlie," she said.

Jamie walked over and leaned against the counter.

"Where's he's going to stay?" Erica asked.

"With me," Brooke said. They all turned to look at her.

Brooke shrugged. "Well, he's obviously close to you two and he's adorable! So I might as well foster him."

**-A few minutes later-**

Jamie sat at the booth with Haley and Nathan.

"The way you talked about your friends' deaths…it was like you weren't surprised," Haley said.

Jamie shrugged, "I was shocked at first but it wasn't a big surprise. After a while it all becomes normal."

Nathan sighed, "What kind of things have you been through?"

Jamie shrugged, "I used to be so scared when I was a kid. The people that would come into the house, the things that would be brought into the house. I remember that when I was scared I would hide in my room…and think of you. Both of you. But as I got older, I got tougher. I…started to forget you guys. I sorry that I forgot you."

Haley hugged him. "You didn't forget us, Jamie. You just put us away in the back of your mind for a little while."

Nathan smiled at his family and said, "You got us back now so you're stuck with us!"

Jamie grinned and he said, slowly, "I missed calling you Mom and Dad."

Haley smiled, "We missed hearing it."

Nathan clapped his hands together. "I fell like something sweet to eat."

"Hey Jamie! Are you coming to the river court?" Kyle asked.

Jamie looked at his parents. "Can I? Mom? Dad? Please?"

Haley smirked. "Don't be out to late."

Jamie nodded. He needed to clear his head.

He had too many thoughts buzzing around.

Was Charlie going to be ok with Brooke?

Was he going to enrol in school?

And most of all: Would Carrie really come after Erica?


	26. Chapter 26

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs.

**I hope you guys like this chapter because I did try and do a good job on it.**

**-Lucas-**

Lucas walked slowly towards the river court.

So many things-so many wonderful things- had happened in the past few weeks. Erica was back and safe and so was Jamie.

Lucas had so many thoughts going though his head.

Back in high school there was only one way to really clear his head and he still did it today.

Just being at the river court had a calming effect on him.

But when he reached the court, someone was already there playing basketball, with a radio sitting on the bleachers.

**-Jamie-**

Jamie bounced the ball and lined up the shot.

But before he could a song came over the radio. Without meaning to he started singing along to 'Chariot.'

The song ended and when he stopped singing, he heard clapping behind him.

He turned around to see Lucas.

"Ok, seriously you have to sing more often! Another talent you got from your mom."

Jamie scoffed and threw the ball to him.

He caught it and put it threw the hoop himself. He looked back down at his nephew.

Jamie was staring out over the river.

"What wrong?" Lucas asked him.

Jamie turned to him. "Carrie's coming."

Lucas frowned. No, not possible. Not again. "How do you know?"

Jamie looked back at the river. "Come on, Uncle Luc. Things are working out, people are happy, the story's so close to its happy ending…something bad has to happen."

Lucas shook his head.

Jamie sighed. "She's wants revenge Lucas. She wants to hurt Erica."

Lucas's blood ran cold and he walked over to Jamie. "If she wants Erica then she'll have to get through all us first."

Jamie looked at him and frowned. "You think I don't know that! I want to protect Erica just as much as you do, but we have to keep a sharp eye out. Carrie could be anywhere."

There was a long pause. Both guys looked out over the river.

Then Jamie said, "We have to protect her. No matter what."

Lucas just nodded in agreement.

**-The next day-**

The crowd let out another cheer as Jamie scored another basket.

The father-son basketball game was in full swing and both Nathan and Jamie were having the time of their lives.

Before the game Nathan promised himself that he wouldn't be like Dan was and he kept his promise.

The game was pure joy for everyone playing and everyone watching.

The sons would do some basketball tricks and embarrass the dads and then the dads would just mess with the sons. The referee gave up trying to keep the rules a long time ago.

Erica, Lucas and Peyton sat with Haley, Brooke and Owen.

Skills was at the side of the court as he was the co-coach and Mouth was up in the new commentator's box.

The box had been recently built; it had large windows at the front of it and gave a clear view of the court. The windows were kept so shiny that they acted as a mirror to the crowd.

"And it's Scott with the ball…only to have it taken by Scott Senior!" Mouth said into the microphone.

Erica clapped half-heartily.

Something was off. She had a bad feeling and it hadn't stopped since she set foot in the gym. She felt like someone was watching her but every time she looked around she saw no one.

Don't you know how it goes, Erica…you should always look right behind you.

**-Half time-**

Jamie threw the ball to John but before he could shoot, the whistle was blown for half-time.

The boys and the fathers split and went to their benches.

Jamie took a water bottle and gulped down its contents.

There was no need for a half time pep talk; this game was purely for fun.

Jamie looked around at the stands. He spotted his family and waved.

He looked at Erica and smiled at her.

But as she waved back his smile slowly dropped.

He looked behind Erica to the person sitting on the seat above her.

Carrie.

The woman's gaze was completely fixed on Erica.

She never blinked, never flinched.

She just stared.

Jamie watched, with bile filling his throat, as Carrie lifted her hand and touched Erica's hair. She did so lightly that Erica didn't feel anything.

Jamie's breathing got heavy and he strained to catch Erica's eye again.

But she was talking to her dad, oblivious to the evil sitting behind her.

Jamie couldn't just yell at her; Carrie would probably be armed and the last thing that was needed was a shoot out.

Finally Erica turned back to Jamie, frowning at his worried face.

Jamie bit his lip and looked over at the commentator's box.

Erica just frowned at him again.

Jamie motioned his head towards the box again just as the whistle was blown for the second half.

Erica shook her head.

Jamie was acting so weird. Why did he keep looking at the commentator's box?

Erica looked up at it and gasped.

She saw Carrie in the box, staring.

Erica stared to pant and she looked back at Carrie. What was she staring at?

Erica looked carefully through the glass.

It was with horror that she realized that it wasn't Carrie in the glass; it was her reflection.

Erica grabbed Lucas's hand and he looked at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Erica just nodded.

Carrie was staring at her.

Carrie was behind her, she could practically feel her cold breath on her head.

She watched in the glass as Carrie raised a hand and lightly touched her hair.

Erica forced herself not to vomit and she took a shaky breath.

She looked back at the court and saw Jamie looking at her, his face a mask of worry. .

She gave him a shaky smile to reassure him of her safety.

The second half passed excrusiently slow for the two of them.

Every moment filled with worry, fear and terror.

Finally the buzzer went, signalling the end of the game.

Jamie ran from his position on court to the stands.

Erica jumped from her seat to him.

He reached the bottom seats when she did and Erica ran into his arms. He engulfed her in a protective hug and turned them around so that his back was to Carrie and Erica was out of sight.

Erica sobbed as she took her phone out of her pocket and called the police.

Jamie kissed her head and held her close. He couldn't believe that he had let Carrie get so close to her! He was an idiot! He couldn't let that happen again.

The adults surrounded them, worried.

"Jamie what's going on?" Haley asked.

"Carrie's here."

They all immediately snapped into action.

Nathan took the phone from Erica to call the police, while Jamie let Lucas and Peyton take Erica and hug her.

Haley took Jamie's hand and he looked at her. "I failed. I let Carrie get this close to Erica."

Haley shook her head. "No you didn't fail. You did just fine. And you've got all of us to help you now too."

Jamie nodded and looked around. Carrie was no where in sight.

"She's gone. For now," he said.

Haley nodded.

**-Half an hour later-**

Erica sat between Lucas and Peyton, holding a glass of water in her hand. She had taken a few sips but other than that it hadn't been touched. Peyton had an arm around Erica and Lucas was gently stroking her hair.

Everyone else had gone home and the police had just left.

Jamie and Nathan were still in their basketball gear and they all agreed to stay at Nathan and Haley's house. There was safety in numbers, Brooke had said.

"Lucas, Peyton and Erica can come with us in our car," Nathan said.

Erica nodded and stood up. "Then I'll have to get my jacket out of our car," she said.

Lucas replied, "I'll come with you. You shouldn't be on your own."

The two of them walked slowly out of the room.

Erica was holding onto Lucas's arm and he kissed the top of her head.

The parking lot of the school was dark, hardly lit by the street lamps. The shadows of the cars stretched like long fingers across the concrete. Their steps echoed across the area, the sounds bouncing back eerily.

Their car came into sight.

Lucas stumbled and looked down at his feet.

He unlocked the car for Erica and crouched down to tie his shoelace.

She leaned into the car and grabbed her jacket.

The sleeve was caught under Lucas's heavy basketball bag.

With one sharp tug she got it free and she got out of the car.

She shut the door and said, "I got it Dad."

She walked to the other side of the car and her smile dropped.

She ran towards Lucas's slumped body. "DAD!" she exclaimed.

She leaned down to check that he was breathing and was relived to find that he was.

But there was a strange smell around his mouth and nose.

She looked towards the door of the gym and screamed, "JAMI-."

She was cut off as a cloth was roughly placed on her nose and mouth.

There was the same weird smell and as she struggled against the stranger's tight grip,

Erica felt her strength going and her eyes slowly started to close.

Next thing she knew, every thing went dark.

**-A few minutes later-**

When Erica felt herself slowly start to wake she could feel a hard surface beneath her.

She was still in darkness and she let her hands explore the area around her.

Now fully awake, she knew that she was in a small space…a trunk of a car.

She could feel the car moving and Erica started to kick and hit the roof of her prison.

After a few minutes Erica tried to calm down from her panic.

She could feel the tears in her eyes.

Erica took a deep breath and tried to find some way of escape.

Finally there was a jolt and the car stopped.

Erica stopped and listened. She heard her raspy breathing and the sound of a door opening and closing. The sound of footsteps as someone walked around the car.

There was a click and the truck lid was lifted.

A dim light filled the trunk.

Erica sat up to see Carrie staring down at her.

Carrie walked slowly backwards until she was a few steps away from the car.

Carrie leaned her head to the side and said, "Are you going to come out and play?"

Erica looked at her and slowly climbed out of the trunk.

Carrie's hair was messed up and her eyes were lifeless and empty.

She had truly gone over the edge of insanity.

Erica stood up in front of the car.

They were on a roof top car park that was filled with cars and van of many sizes. To the side of the area was eight crates, one on top another one, making four rows.

The area was dark and there were only one lamp hanging over the obviously locked door. The lamp flickered on and off and the only real light was the bright moon the hung in the pitch black sky.

Erica slowly lifted her hand to her pocket.

It was then that she remembered that Nathan still had her phone from when he called the police at the gym.

Erica swallowed nervously and asked, "What do you want?"

Carrie grinned like a caged animal that had just been let out.

"I want you to come and play."

**-Jamie-**

Jamie walked out to the car park.

In the few minutes that he had got changed into his jeans and black hoodie, Lucas and Erica still weren't back from the car.

The others had been busy cleaning up to notice.

When he raised his concern, they said that Erica was with Lucas and she would be fine.

But they didn't know Carrie like he did.

He walked down the rows of cars until he saw Lucas, still lying on the ground.

He ran towards him and shook him. "Lucas! Uncle Lucas!" he said.

Lucas's eyes slowly started to open. "Jamie?" he said.

"Uncle Lucas are you alright? Where's Erica?!"

Lucas pushed himself up into the sitting position.

He looked around and then back at Jamie. "I don't know," he said in a scared voice.

Jamie stood up and looked around franticly.

He started to pant and ran both his hands through his hair.

"Erica!" he yelled, "ERICA! Can you hear me?"

"ERICA!"


	27. Chapter 27

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs.

**Ok guys here you go the next chapter. I tried hard on this one so reviews are, of course, welcome. **

**-Jamie-**

Lucas paced up and down the sitting room. Peyton and Haley sat on the couch talking quietly and Nathan sat with Jamie on the other couch, the father's hand resting lightly on his son's shoulder.

The police had left earlier after taking their statements. An alert was going out but it didn't satisfy anyone.

Jamie stared into space with his head resting in his hands.

This couldn't be happing. Erica couldn't just disappear.

But he knew what to do. He had other people that could find Erica. But he couldn't call them. The others wouldn't approve.

Peyton turned to Jamie. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were marked with tears. Her daughter had been taken again and the agony was unbearable. Erica had to come back. She just had to.

"Jamie?" she asked.

He looked up at his aunt.

"You know how Carrie thinks. Do you have anyway of finding Erica?"

Jamie bit his lip. "You wouldn't like it."

Lucas stopped pacing and said, "As long as you get Erica back then we like it."

Jamie stood up and as he walked out of the sitting room he grabbed his phone.

He went out the door and stood on the porch, dialling a number.

As he waited for the person to pick up he looked out at the view. Erica was out there somewhere. And he was going to find her.

The person on the other end picked up and before he could say anything, Jamie cut in.

"Listen very carefully. I want to know where Carrie is right now and if I don't find out in the next ten minutes, I swear, you will pay."

**-Erica-**

Erica wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans.

Carrie was just standing there watching her.

"If we're going to play then you have to find a place to hide. That's why it's called hide and go seek," Carrie said.

Erica looked at her. "You want to play hide and go seek?"

Carrie nodded, "Just like you and Jamie used to play when you were little."

Erica looked around. She saw the vehicles, the crates and the light that flickered on and off. There were two other lights that had been smashed and the glass was lying on the ground.

"You hide and I'll count," Carrie said in an even tone.

Then Carrie walked over to Erica.

Erica walked slowly away from the car as Carrie shut the trunk and then opened the back seat.

Slowly and quietly she took an aluminium baseball bat out of the car.

Erica's breathing sped up and panic started to take over.

Carrie shut the door and looked at Erica with blank eyes.

"Go hide."

Erica turned and ran towards the door of the car park.

She pulled and pushed on the door but it didn't open.

She turned to see Carrie just walking slowly towards her.

Erica turned and ran again. She ran past a van and hide under a car.

She lay down on her front and looked out from under the car.

All was quiet.

Then she heard a low humming. The humming came closer and closer until she could make out the tune.

Carrie was humming, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star."

Erica watched as Carrie walked passed the car, humming.

All she could see was Carrie's high heels clicking off the ground.

And the top of the baseball bat as she dragged it after her across the concrete.

Her heels walked out of sight.

Erica started to calm down as she rested her head on her arm.

What she wouldn't do right now to be safe and warm at the Scott house. She and Jamie would be fighting over the remote while Nathan and Lucas would be taking about plays for the next Raven's game. Peyton, Haley and Brooke would discus Brooke's new line, Peyton's record company and Haley would tell them about things her students did or said that week.

Everything would be fine. She just wanted to get back to that.

Erica lifted her head and looked over to one side of the car.

All clear.

She turned to the other side.

Again, all clear.

She turned her head the other way again and she screamed as she saw Carrie looking at her from the side of the car.

Carrie stared at her.

"Found you."

Erica scrambled out from under the car on the other side.

She stood up and started running.

In her panic she banged off the side of the car and fell to the ground.

The glass from the light was on the ground and when Erica pushed herself up on her hands, she realized that the glass had cut her face and arm.

Two long gashes started dripping blood. One ran across her right cheek and the other down her right arm.

She winched in pain and stood up, running again.

Her heart hammered against her chest, sweat dripping from her body.

The blood from her cuts ran down her face and her arm, staining her clothes, slowly turning her white top dark red.

She ran in between the cars, dodging and weaving, desperately looking for some sort of escape.

She came to the edge of the car park and looked over the stone barrier.

A long drop greeted her as Erica saw the distance between her and the ground.

She turned around and dived behind a car.

She peered around the side of the car and saw Carrie looking at the ground as she walked agonisingly slow towards her.

"_How does she know exactly where I am_," Erica's racing mind thought.

A warm sensation came onto her hand.

Erica looked down to see a single drop of blood sitting on her left hand.

She looked and let out a muffled sob as she saw the feint blood trail she had left behind her.

She quickly rubbed her face with her already stained t-shirt and then wiped her arm on her jeans.

She winched and bit her lip in pain as she did so but stopped when she heard Carrie talking.

"Come out, my girl…I want to play…"

Erica scrambled up and as quietly as she could she half walked-half crawled along the line of cars and vans.

She turned and hid again behind a pick-up truck with a plastic sheet covering the objects inside.

She watched as she saw Carrie turn and stand at the same car that she had been hiding behind just minutes before.

She watched as Carrie's evil smile twisted into a furious snarl.

Her left hand came up and joined her right hand in holding the baseball bat. She let out a pricing scream and started to smash and destroy the back of the car.

Erica put her head in her hands.

Tears came down her face and joined the blood on her shirt.

"Please…please…if you just get me out of here alive, I swear I'll apprieate everyone and everything in my life…please…" Erica prayed.

She lifted her head and listened as Carrie let her anger out on the car.

**-Jamie-**

Jamie put his car into the next gear and went even faster.

The call had come just a few minutes ago about a sighting of Carrie.

Jamie ignored the stop signs, thankful that the road was deserted.

He made a promise to himself a long time ago to keep Erica safe.

And he was going to be **damned** if Carrie was going make him break it.

**-Erica-**

Erica wiped more blood off her face and forced her mind to think.

There was only one way out and that was the door.

It was locked from their side so Carrie must have the key. And there was only one way to get it.

Erica slowly stood up and while keeping one eye on Carrie she peeled back the plastic and looked in the back of the truck.

"Come on, come on, there has to be something," she whispered.

Wire, junk and tools littered the truck.

There was nothing she could use and even the tools were useless.

Then she saw them.

A small pile of metal pipes lay in the truck.

She slowly picked one up and slid it out of the truck.

She slowly walked out into the open.

When she tried to speak she found her voice was hoarse.

She licked her dry lips and shouted, "Carrie!"

Slowly Carrie let the front of the bat sit on the ground and she looked up at Erica between her wild hair that fell across her face.

"You want to play?" Erica asked.

Carrie nodded slowly.

"Then come find me."

With that statement Erica turned and ran towards the large metal crates.

They were like the ones that you load onto ships from cargo transport.

Erica went down one gap and ran the length of the first two.

She then turned right and went into the gap.

There, at the very edge of the crate she stood, straight and still.

Stopping Carrie from seeing the pipe while she was running was hard but hopefully she didn't suspect anything.

"Are you hiding again my girl?" she heard Carrie call.

She must be at the start of the first crate. "Ya, you like playing games, don't you Carrie?" she called back.

She heard the bat being dragged across the ground and Carrie's heels as they slowly walked the length of the crate.

"Playing games is fun," Carrie said.

The moonlight shone in the black sky and as Carrie turned the corner, Erica saw her shadow stretch out beside her.

"But you remember the most important rule Carrie?"

Erica asked as she raised the pipe and gripped it tightly.

"What's that, my girl?" Carrie asked, her shadow get shorter as she got closer and closer.

"It's all fun and games till someone gets hurt."

Finally Carrie turned the corner and Erica swung the pipe, the cold metal coming into contact with her skull.

A sickening crack echoed across the area and Erica let the pipe fall from her hands as Carrie's body fell to the ground.

Erica stared down at her, her breathing shaky.

She saw Carrie struggling to keep her eyes open.

Erica said, with as much confection as she could, "Number 1: You're a sick bitch….and number 2: I'm not your girl."

Carrie's eyes rolled and finally she fell limp.

Suddenly the door started to bang and shake.

After one or two tries the door was forced open and Jamie rushed into the car park.

Erica felt her emotional strength leave her and she shouted, "JAMIE!"

He turned to her and ran towards her, weaving in and out of cars.

Erica ran herself and as soon as they were within two feet of each other, Erica jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jamie put his own arms around her and held on for dear life.

She sobbed into his hoodie and Jamie stroked her hair.

Erica pulled away to say, "She's crazy Jamie…she's insane, s-she's gone off the edge…"

Jamie nodded but looked at her bloody top. "Are you ok?" he asked urgently.

Erica nodded and he could see the blood came from her face and arm.

Tears came to her eyes again and Jamie pulled her in.

Jamie gently rocked them back and forth and spotted Carrie lying on the ground, blood pouring from her head wound.

He quickly took his phone out of his pocket and dialled 911. "Hello? I've got someone here with large cuts on her and another with a serious head wound. I need the police and the ambulance."

**-A few minutes later-**

Erica and Jamie sat in one ambulance with the doors open.

Erica's cheek and arm were bandage and she had a blanket around her shoulders. Jamie kissed her head and rubbed her back.

He saw Carrie being loaded into the other ambulance and a police car parked near it.

Jamie looked at Erica. "I'll be right back. Don't move and don't worry."

Erica nodded and watched as he climbed out and walked towards the other ambulance.

He walked up to one of the paramedics and asked, "Will she be ok?"

There was no way Erica was going to get into trouble over this.

"She'll be fine. The blow was enough to knock her out but not cause any underlying damage," the paramedic said as he climbed into the ambulance with Carrie.

Jamie nodded.

"Is she your mom?" he asked.

Jamie shook his head.

"Then what is she to you?" he asked.

Jamie looked at him and said, "She's nothing…absolutely nothing."

And do you want to know the best part of that sentence…it was 100% true.

The paramedic shut the door and the ambulance drove off.

Jamie walked back to Erica and climbed in beside her.

She instantly curled up to him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Jamie just kissed her head again.

"I want my mom and dad," she whispered again.

"They're coming," Jamie said, "Everything will be alright."


	28. Chapter 28

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**So, some people were asking for Peyton and Erica interaction and here it is. I already had this chapter planed so that's why there wasn't a lot of it before.**

Peyton poured herself some coffee and gently sipped it. She walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Erica sat curled on the couch watching TV.

The court case had been over for a few hours now and Erica had already changed into her jeans and t-shirt.

Carrie's lawyers had pleaded insanity, of course, and Carrie had been sentenced to a very long stay at a mental intuition.

Jamie and Erica had given evidence and been witnesses on the stand. Jamie told them about their lives growing up and had most of the room in tears. Erica had people shocked at her account about what had happened on the roof top car park.

The jury came back with in minutes and the verdict of guilty was unanimous.

Jamie, Nathan and Haley had gone back to their house along with Lucas, Brooke, Owen, Skills and Mouth. Peyton and Erica decided to go back to their own house after a while as Erica was tried.

Peyton sat down beside her daughter and placed her cup on the coffee table.

Erica turned to her and gave her a small smile.

"How are you feeling?" Peyton asked her.

Erica shrugged. "I'm fine. Just glad it's finally over."

She smirked slightly. "You have no idea how relieve I am. No more running, no more hiding. Just…normality."

Peyton smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "I get the feeling that you're not telling me everything. I know that we talked about Carrie and what she did but…I think that there is more to it. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

Erica looked at her frowning slightly. For years she had wanted a mom to talk to. A mom who would teach her things and love her without question. Although she was overjoyed to have that now, things had changed.

"I will always try to tell you the truth…but I've done things. Jamie and I have done things...things to survive. There are some things that a mom doesn't need to know. Things that should stay between myself and Jamie."

Peyton stared at her daughter, wondering where she got her amazing strength from.

She just nodded in reply and sat back to watch the TV with Erica.

A few minutes past and then Erica said, "I need you to help me with something."

Peyton turned to her.

"I own Jamie a favour for saving me," Erica said smiling.

**-Jamie & Emily- **

Emily sighed and rubbed her eyes.

Her senses slowly came back to her and she smiled at the warmth she felt.

She realized that she was lying with Jamie on his new bed in his room.

Her head was lying on top of Jamie's chest and her arm was wrapped around his waist. Jamie's own arms were securely wrapped around Emily and his cheek sat on her head.

They had been talking about the court case and they had fallen asleep.

She had realized half-way through her conversation just how tried her boyfriend actually was. His eyes had been drooping and he was yawning every other minute.

They simple lay down and she stroked his arm until he fell asleep.

With in seconds she had fallen asleep herself.

Emily smiled at the happiness and security that she felt from being in Jamie's arms.

"_I could defenity get used to this,"_ she thought.

Then she mentally smacked her forehead at the thought.

"_I cannot believe I just thought that. I a__m thinking way to far ahead. I'll scare the boy away if I keep this up. Plus he's got more important things than me. Jamie will go to the NBA and I'll go to collage to major in journalism." _

Emily's thoughts were interrupted as Jamie moved slightly.

Emily looked up at him and smiled.

She reached up and gently kissed him on the lips.

She giggled because as she pulled away, Jamie pulled a face and moved to kiss her again.

She teased him and moved just out of his reach.

He frowned with his eyes still closed and said, "Stop that and let me kiss you again."

Emily smiled and did what he said.

Jamie pulled back and opened his eyes.

He stared at her and sighed happily. "You've got your thinking face on. What's on your mind?"

Emily bit her lip. "Just about you and the NBA," she said, telling half the truth.

Jamie sighed. "You sound like my friends. Please be my dream girl and not mention the NBA."

Emily frowned and sat up. "You don't want to be in the NBA?!"

Jamie sat up with her. "As must as I'd love to be a professional basketball player…I was thinking of working with kids."

Emily's features softened and she asked, "You mean like a teacher?"

Jamie shrugged. "I was thinking more like guidance counsellor or something along those lines. In my old school our counsellor helped a lot of kids, kept them out of trouble. He got them to join clubs, find good hobbies and he always stressed the importance of school and good grades. I'd like to do that. Help kids to find something that they love to do and put effort and time into it so that they feel good about themselves. Teach them that they are worth something and that they are good at something."

Emily smiled at him.

Jamie's eyes were shining and his voice was filled with hope and happiness. He had found something that he really loved to do.

She placed her hand on top of his. "I think that that sounds great."

Jamie smiled and lay back down on the bed.

Emily lay down with him and he wrapped his arms around her again. "So since I talked about the NBA, does that mean that I'm not your dream girl?"

Jamie smirked and said, "That's right. No dream girl title for you."

Emily pretended to be offended and gasped.

She rolled off the bed and stood up.

As she walked to the door, Jamie rushed off the bed saying, "OK! I'm sorry! I take it back! I take it back!"

He went up to her and turned her around, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Emily smiled and placed her own arms around his neck.

Jamie leaned down and gently kissed her. "My dream girl," he mumbled against her lips.

**-Peyton and Erica-**

Erica looked up at the house in front of her.

She hadn't been back in months; she didn't want to be back at that house.

But this was for Jamie.

Peyton locked the car and walked around to join her daughter. She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Let's get what we need and then go," Erica said, as she walked towards the house.

The spare key was, of course, still under the plant pot.

No one had touched it; no one wanted to go into that house.

She put the key on the lock and opened the door.

She stepped through and stood in the hallway. She took deep calming breaths and looked behind her at Peyton.

Then she moved her feet and went up the stairs. She ignored the other rooms, just concentrating on the one.

She got to the door and opened it. She looked around at the familiar sight.

When she lived in this house with Carrie and Jamie, she found that Jamie's room was a safe place to be. He had locks on it and he was always made sure that Carrie stayed out of it.

Erica's eyes swept across the room, resting on what she was looking for. She grabbed it and shut the door behind her.

She rushed down the stairs and met Peyton in the hallway.

The two of them walked out the door and Erica locked it behind her also.

They got in the car and Erica placed Jamie's present carefully in the back seat.

She sat back in the passenger seat and sighed.

Peyton gently stroked her hair to calm her down.

Erica smiled at her and said, "Thank you for helping me with this."

Peyton just smiled and started the car.

Erica took one last look at the house that she once lived in.

Then she turned her back and looked forward.

She preferred to do that anyway.

**-N & H house-**

Jamie sat on the couch and tapped his pencil on his notepad.

He had to write a valedictorian speech and so far he had…absolutely nothing.

He threw the pencil down in frustration.

"So the speech is going good then," a voice asked.

Jamie turned his head slightly to see Erica standing in the doorway.

"Ya…if you call a blank sheet of paper a good speech," he joked.

Erica smiled and said, "I have a present for you."

She reached behind the doorway and took out a case.

Jamie knew what it was the second he saw it.

Erica walked over and put it on the coffee table.

Jamie stood up smiling.

He opened the clasps and lifted the lid.

He looked at the object inside and smiled.

He looked at Erica and said, "You got me my Les Paul guitar."

Erica smiled at Jamie's happiness.

That guitar was the only thing that Jamie had bought with his own money. Carrie always paid for everything and didn't like the two of them having any type of financial independence.

"I figured that I owed you one since you saved me and all."

Jamie ran his fingers across his black electric guitar.

"You were doing fine when I got there. You saved yourself."

Erica replied, "Then do me a favour. Sing my favourite song at your graduation party at Tric."

Jamie nodded and hugged her.

Then he sat down on the couch and took the guitar onto his lap.

He ran his hands across the strings and smiled.

Then he saw the blank notepad and he groaned.

He had no time for guitar; he had to write his speech. "Owen said that I should talk about something that's important…but that still doesn't help me!" he grumbled.

Erica bit her lip and thought for a few moments.

Then a slow smile came across her face.

"Home," she said, "Talk about home."

Jamie looked up at her with a slight grin.

Then he gently placed the guitar back in its case and took up the pad and pen.

Erica turned and walked out of the room.

Just as she was about to leave, Jamie called, "Hey Erica! Thanks."

Erica smiled at him and said, "Thank me with money or chocolate…or both."

Jamie laughed and went back to his speech, the paper filling up with words.

**There's only one more chapter left**** after this one. And I know that Carrie's in an intuition but I've got a little more planned for her.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing except the OCs.

**I know that I said that this was the last chapter but it isn't. I realized that I had this chapter to write and the graduation. Than the chapter might be too long and also the gradation is a big deal so I think it deserves a chapter**** by itself. So the next chapter is the last one. Thanks guys!**

"I swear Nathan if you burn another burger, I will make you and Lucas hand over the barbecue to Owen!" Haley shouted as she walked into the kitchen from the garden.

Emily put more chips into a bowl and smiled at her as she came in. "They're not doing to well with the cooking, are they?" she asked.

"Dad and Uncle Nathan get distracted when they're cooking, usually by basketball, so we're all going to be eating burnt burgers for dinner," Erica commented, never taking her eyes from the TV screen and the game she and Tyler were playing.

Haley just shrugged her shoulders and opened the fridge to take out more food. "Everyone's outside and Jamie should be home soon," Haley said closing the fridge, her hands full with food.

"Where did he go? He just said he had business to take care of," Emily asked.

Haley sighed, "He told us nothing. You know as much as we do."

"He went to the lawyer's office," Erica said suddenly.

The three others turned to look at her. "Carrie's lawyer called and asked Jamie to come in and talk about Carrie's possessions and the house. Tying up loose ends he said."

Suddenly the door opened and was then shut with a loud bang.

Jamie appeared at the sitting room door, his face dark, and said, "Erica." Then he walked upstairs.

Erica got off the couch and walked out of the room and up the stairs after him.

"What was that about?" Tyler asked.

"They do that sometimes. There must be big news," Haley said looking worried.

"I'm sure everything's fine," Emily said reassuringly.

But that didn't stop any of them worrying.

**-Jamie & Erica-**

Erica walked into Jamie's room and sat herself down on his desk chair.

Jamie was standing with his arms folded, looking out of the window.

"What's wrong? Or would you rather keep up your interesting conversation with the window," she asked.

Jamie turned to her and her good mood instantly faded away.

His jaw was tight, his eyes were blazing and his hands were curled into fists.

She hadn't seen him this pissed in a long time.

Actually he was beyond pissed.

"What did Carrie do?" she asked him quietly.

Jamie sighed and said, "She died."

Erica's mouth dropped open slightly at those two words.

Jamie went over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"How?" Erica said.

"You know that she spent three weeks in the mental hospital before the trial and she has been in there for two weeks since then."

Erica nodded.

"Well, apparently one of the nurses is a relative of someone Carrie wronged and he got this nurse to switch Carrie's medication. The pills that Carrie was taking from the nurse were slowly killing her. The lawyer said he would spare me the details but I told him to be honest with me. He said Carrie died slowly and painfully."

Silence filled the room as both of them thought hard about the news.

After a few minutes Erica asked, "Is it wrong that I'm not sorry. That I'm actually relived?"

Jamie's features instantly softened and he smiled comfortingly at her.

"No," he said determinedly. "There is nothing wrong with that. I feel the same way."

Erica nodded and gave him a small smile. "It really is over this time isn't it?"

Jamie nodded and Erica stood up to hug him. He hugged her back and kissed her head.

Then she pulled back and sat back down on the chair. "So why were you in such a bad mood a few minutes ago?"

Jamie's face went back to its dark look. "Carrie wants us to go to her funeral."

Erica's eyes went wide. "Dude I really hope you are joking because last time I checked you can't talk to the dead."

"She left it in her will. That's what I went to the lawyers for." Jamie's voice was angry and tight. There was more to the story.

"We weren't her legal children so we aren't entitled to anything of hers," he said.

"Good! I don't want anything of hers!" Erica interrupted.

Jamie smirked slightly. "I know. But the thing is she left us a lot of money that we are entitled to."

"How much money?"

"Up to £500,000."

Erica smiled. "We get 500 grand! That's so cool!"

Then her smile dropped. "Wait…she got that money from the gangs and the drugs didn't she?"

Jamie nodded. "That's why I don't want anything to do with it!"

"Well, we could use it for something else," Erica suggested.

"What something else?" he asked.

"Our old neighbourhood needs help. With that money we could help the kids there with sports and clubs. Keep them out of the gangs."

Jamie sighed. Now that was a good reason to take the money.

"But I have to do something to get that money," he said slowly.

"What?"

"I have to speak at her funeral. I have to…thank her for something and I have to quote someone from history."

He scoffed. "She wants her funeral to be some hero's goodbye or something."

He shook his head and looked at Erica. "I can't do that. I can't go to her funeral and say something nice about her! I can't!"

Erica went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "She said you had to say something. She never said it had to be nice."

**-****A few hours later.- **

The barbecue was over and everyone was enjoying a relaxing break from work or study.

They now all knew about Carrie and also about Jamie's choice about wither to speak or not.

The group was playing basketball but Jamie and Emily had volunteered to bring all the dishes into the kitchen.

Emily was loading some into the dishwasher while Jamie was picking more up from the table outside.

"Honey?" he heard behind him.

He turned to see Haley walking towards him.

He smiled at her and started to pick up the last plate. "No leave it. You go play with everyone else and Emily and I will be along in a minute," she offered.

"Thanks Mom," he said, before her gave her the plates and jogged towards the court.

Haley walked into the kitchen and placed the dishes on the counter.

"There's little room left but I think I can squeeze those in," Emily said.

Haley nodded and looked at her.

After a minute Emily turned to her and said, "Are you ok, Haley?"

Haley sighed. "You're boyfriend wasn't who he thought he was. He is person feared by many gang members. He's seen many horrible things and done many horrible things to survive. Now he has to go to a funeral of a woman who kidnapped him and his cousin. Other girls would have run at the first sign of trouble."

Emily replied, "I'm not like other girls Haley."

"And what makes you so different."

"I'm in love with him. And no matter what he is going through, I'll stand by him. I'm sorry if that's not good enough."

Haley sighed. "No I'm sorry! You are good enough Emily. I'm just…I've seen Carrie hurt him so much. I…I don't think that can see him get his heart hurt."

Emily smiled at her, "I wouldn't hurt him. I love him to much."

It was then that Jamie walked into the room and heard the last sentence Emily said.

Haley cleared her throat and walked towards the door. Before she left she whispered to Jamie. "I was being unintentional bitchy to her and I said sorry but this is a good time to tell her you love her too."

With that she patted him on the arm and walked out the door.

Jamie stood in the doorway staring at Emily.

Emily walked around to be on the same side of the counter as Jamie was. "I know that when Carrie took you from the café that we told each other we love each other but you were under pressure and we were facing the fact that we wouldn't see each other again and I though for a second that you didn't mean it-."

She was cut off by Jamie stepping forward and kissing her.

He wrapped his arms around her and once again she melted in them.

Damn him and his amazing kisses.

She finally pulled away and with a shaky breath, "You really have a habit of cutting me off mid-sentence."

Jamie took her face in his hands and said seriously, "Don't for a second think that I don't love you. I meant what I said at the café. I do love you."

Emily smiled, "I love you too."

**-****The next day.- **

Jamie slowly walked around the tombstones.

He stopped at the one that said, '_Keith Scott_' and placed a bunch of flowers on the grave.

He sighed, not knowing what to say. "Dad and Uncle Luc told me all about you. You sound like such a cool guy. I didn't see why my parents hated Dan so much but after hearing what he did to you, I understood. It's kind of like the Carrie situation. Uncle Luc said that you were good at giving advice. I…I was hoping that you could help me."

Jamie sighed again. "Oh this is stupid. I can't believe I'm asking a dead person for help! No offence! I just don't know what to do about Carrie and Dad said that you're like everyone's guardian angel so-."

Suddenly a gust of wind came and blew some leaves of the trees.

The wind continued and Jamie wrapped his jacket around him.

He turned around to leave, his face facing the wind. Then he stopped.

The graveyard was windy and more and more leaves were falling on the ground.

But across the road…the trees were still. They weren't moving an inch.

Jamie looked back and saw the leave swirling across the graveyard.

Without thinking about it Jamie moved his feet, following the leaves.

He walked across the graveyard until he saw a pile of leaves lying near a grave.

He slowly walked up and read the name. '_Quentin Fields_'.

A lost memory stirred in Jamie's mind, the name sounding familiar.

"Long time, no see Scott," a voice said behind him.

Jamie turned and more memories came back when he saw the man in front of him.

"Andre?" he said.

Andre smiled at his old friend.

It had been a long time since the two of them had stood there together. They were both older, not necessarily wiser but both more men then boys.

Andre walked to stand beside Jamie, the two of them looking at the grave.

"Do you remember him?" Andre asked.

Jamie nodded slowly. "Bits and pieces. Man, he was a giant to me! I remember hoping that one day I'd be as tall as him."

Andre nodded too.

"How have you been?" Jamie said.

Andre shrugged, "I'm not living in Tree Hill anymore. After you were taken, it felt like this place was filled with bad memories. My mom and I just packed up and left. We went to Charlotte. We come back here every few weeks to say hi to Q. Your parents promised us that they would look after the grave. They have done a good job."

Andre laid some flowers down and then touched the headstone.

Then he stood up and together he and Jamie walked out of the graveyard.

They were out on the street when Andre spoke again. "When I heard you were back, I just drove here, hoping to see my old friend."

Jamie smiled. "Do you remember John?"

Andre nodded, "Ya, the three of us terrorised the neighbourhood! When I was leaving, he begged me to stay. Said that he could take losing another friend."

Andre trailed off.

Jamie's jaw tightened. He had been so busy seeing the damage Carrie had caused to him, Erica and their family that he didn't realize how much everyone else she had hurt.

His friends, the people in the town. How could go to her funeral now?

"I read in the newspaper that the woman who took you is dead," Andre said, breaking the silence.

Jamie nodded, "I have to go to her funeral and make a speech."

Andre frowned, "Why?"

"It's part of the will. I don't want to. It's like this is one last kick in the face from her."

Andre stopped walking and looked at him. "Don't let her get to you. You might have to make this speech but you can kick her in the face back."

Jamie sighed and then realized that they were beside a playground.

There were no kids around, the park was deserted.

"You want to play?" Jamie asked, nodding his head towards the playground.

Andre scoffed and said, "Dude we are way to old for that."

Jamie nodded, "Ya, you're right…race you to the monkey bars!"

"NO FAIR!"

With that the two of them ran into the playground, acting like they had never left.

**-****An hour later.- **

Erica sighed and tried Jamie's phone again.

Still voice mail! What could he be possibly doing that was taking this long?

Erica put her phone in her pocket and walked down the street.

Everyone was coming over for dinner and she had been looking everywhere for Jamie.

She turned the corner and walked passed the playground.

She was about to walk passed it when she saw Jamie and another guy spinning around on the roundabout.

She walked into the playground. "Jamie! What are you doing?!"

Jamie stopped the roundabout and smiled at her. "Hey Erica! This is Andre. It turns out that he, John and I are old friends."

Andre smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Nice to meet you. But I'll repeat: What are you doing!"

Jamie smiled sheepishly, "Spinning on the roundabout until one of us throws up."

Erica sighed, "That is so immature."

"You want a go?"

"Ya!"

**-****The following day.- **

Jamie straightened his tie and took a deep breath.

The funeral was in an hour and he had only a small bit of his speech done.

He took up his cards and tapped them against his hands.

"Are you ready?" Nathan said, as he walked into the room.

Jamie just shrugged.

"Hey," Nathan said placing his hand on Jamie's shoulder. "Just speak the truth," he advised.

Jamie frowned for a moment and then grabbed a pen from his desk.

He scribbled on the cards for a few minutes and then put the pen back down. "I'm ready," he said to Nathan.

The two of them walked down the stairs to the kitchen, where everyone was waiting.

"You guys don't have to come. The will just said that Erica and I HAVE to be there," Jamie said to them.

Brooke smiled. "Sorry, Jamie boy, but I will feel much better when I see that bitch lowered into the ground myself."

Haley frowned at her and then said to Jamie, "We are going for you and Erica, not for her."

"Then let's go. I want this to be over with a soon as possible," Erica said as she stepped off the stool.

**-****At the graveyard.- **

Everyone gathered around the coffin, waiting for the priest to finish.

Jamie and Erica stood side by side, their parents and friends beside them as well.

"Jamie," the priest said, "You can speak now."

Jamie nodded and walked around so that he was standing in front of everyone.

He sighed and looked down at his speech.

"You asked me to quote someone and I have. But it isn't someone famous or well known; it's a large group of people. In the trenches of a terrible war, the soldiers were heard saying, "Please God come and save us. But do not send Jesus, for this is no place for children." You're life was a war zone and you should not have brought children into it. The only thing I can thank you for is taking both of us. At least we had each other in that nightmare. And now that nightmare is over…for good."

With that Jamie walked back to the others and stood by Erica.

She smiled at him and said, "Good job."

Together they watched as Carrie's coffin was lowered into the ground and covered up.

They all walked back to their cars. Jamie, Erica, Emily and Tyler were in Jamie's car.

As soon as they got in Erica let out a sigh of relief that she didn't know she had been holding.

Tyler placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and she smiled at him.

**-****N & H's house.- **

Night had fallen and everyone had gone home except Lucas, Peyton and Erica. They were spending the night there.

The adult were inside while Jamie and Erica were outside.

They were lying down on the basketball court, looking up at the stars.

"Do you think we can be normal now?" Erica asked.

Jamie smirked, "I don't think that we will ever be normal. The kidnapping is a big part of our lives. We have to leave it in the past, that's all."

Erica frowned, "You know sometimes, yes is a good enough answer."

Jamie laughed and then replied, "Well one good thing did come out of all this. You and I are as close as can be."

Erica smiled softly and said, "I love you, big brother."

"I love you too, little sister."

Just then a shooting star flew across the sky.

"Make a wish," Jamie said.

Erica closed her eyes and then opened them a second later.

"What you wish for?" he asked her.

"I can't tell stupid! It wouldn't come true. And it's a really important wish."

"Ok, ok! Don't tell me!" Jamie said smiling.

**So can you guess what Erica's wish was? I tell you in the next chapter.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Finding Home**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except the OCs.

**Ok so this whole story is dedicated to my best friend Lisa who listened to my chapter ideas and helped me out. Thanks Lisa!**

**Also this story is dedicated to my friend Sarah who also listened to me about my chapters especially this one.**

**Do you guys imagine what the OCs look like? I mean who would play them?**

Jamie sat on the porch seat and sighed.

The sun was rising, casting long shadows across the street. Bright and bold colours in many different shades stained the clouds and the air was crisp and fresh.

It was the morning of the Tree Hill High senior graduation and the beginning of a new life style.

Many students were leaving Tree Hill to go to collage and to see the world. To all of them it was the end of an era.

But to Jamie that era seemed too short.

The many years that he should have spent in Tree Hill had been taken from him and now he was leaving to go to Duke.

He wasn't ready to say goodbye to his family or to this town, even if it was for only five days a week. He wasn't ready to say goodbye to the family he just got back.

He looked down at the valedictorian speech he had in his hands and shook his head at the stiff and bland words. They were all about how good change was and how exciting this new chapter in their lives was.

But although Jamie agreed with what he had written, he thought that something else was more important.

He heard the door open and shut and looked up to see Erica stepping onto the porch. She, Lucas and Peyton had stayed over again and they had all stayed up late. Erica looked like she was half asleep and her eyes were half closed.

"What are doing up this early?" Jamie asked softly.

"Brooke just called me and asked me to come over quickly. God knows why she didn't ask Mom or Haley but all I know is that she has interrupted my sleep!" Erica hissed.

She walked down the porch steps and then turned to look at Jamie. "I would ask what you are doing up this early too…but I'm too damn grumpy so I'll ask later."

Jamie smiled, "You mean if you don't fall asleep on the pavement."

Erica grumbled something as she walked away and Jamie swore that it was something along the lines of "Go fudge yourself."

"She's been spending way to much time with Brooke," Jamie whispered.

**-Brooke's house-**

Erica walked into Brooke's house using the key that she had been given.

"Brooke?" Erica called.

"In here!" Brooke called back, "Get me a glass of water while you're at it!"

As Erica filled a glass she yelled to Brooke, "Why didn't you call Mom or Aunt Haley? Or anyone else but me?"

"I think it's these fudging hormones! I don't want to wake Peyton or Haley because they went to bed later than you!"

Erica started to walk down the hall but then stopped. "What hormones?!?"

She walked into Brooke and Owen's bedroom and stopped when she saw Brooke leaning against the doorway to the room's en suite. Brooke's hair was in a messy bun, she wasn't wearing any make up and she was still in her pyjamas.

"You look like hell" Erica said.

Brooke frowned and said, "Hasn't anyone ever told you not to piss off a pregnant woman?"

Erica's eyes widened and she said, "You're… pregnant…OH MY GOD!"

Erica dropped the glass and ran over to Brooke, throwing her arms around her and yelling, "My wish came true! My wish came true!"

Brooke smiled and detached herself from Erica.

"What wish?" she asked.

Erica's smile was from ear to ear. "My wish! I wish that you would get what you wanted most and you did!"

"When did you wish this?" Brooke said laughing.

"Last week, after Carrie's funeral."

Brooke raised her eyebrows, "Well, Owen and I were busy that night."

Erica snorted, "Apparently you were very busy!"

Then she scrunched up her nose and added, "But you better not tell the kid that he or she was conceived the night of a crazy woman's funeral. That could mess a kid up for life."

Brooke looked at her and then just laughed.

Then she stopped and whined, "You spilt water on my carpet!"

Erica rolled her eyes, "Carpet is absorbent for a reason! Plus you better get used to it if you and Owen are going to have a kid around!"

**-A few hours later at the school-**

"OMG, OMG, OMG! EMILY!"

Emily turned as she saw Lily running down the hallway, her blue graduation robe flowing behind her. A few people had already arrived at the school to help out with setting up the graduation.

"What is it?!" Emily asked when her apparently mad friend reached her.

"Kyle asked me out!"

Both girls burst into screams that had most of the people in the corridor holding their ears.

Jamie walked up to them, wearing a robe identical to the one they were both wearing and he winched.

They saw him and stopped the screams of joy, rewarding the bystanders with silence.

"Baby you know I love you but damn you are too loud sometimes!" Jamie said.

Emily laughed and kissed his pout away.

Lily smiled, "Aw, you two are too sweet. And now I have a boyfriend to be sweet with!"

Lily let off another scream and a string of giggles.

Jamie's eyes grew slightly wider, "Were you like that when we started going out?"

Emily shook her head, "No…I was jumping up and down too!"

Parents of one of their classmates walked by and looked at Lily strangely.

Jamie said with a straight face, "She's high."

Emily elbowed him in his chest and tried not to laugh.

The parents walked away and then Jamie's phone beeped. He flipped it open and frowned at his message.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked.

"Just have to finish up some business. I'll see you before the graduation," he said as he walked away.

"But the graduation is in 2 hours!" Emily called to him.

"I'll be there!" he called back.

**-J & E's old neighbourhood-**

A knock at the door woke Richard up from his sleep on the couch.

He walked slowly to the door and opened it. "What are you doing here, Ryan?" he asked.

"You arranged Carrie's death," Jamie said flatly.

Richard smirked and said, "Then you should be thanking me. You would have done the same thing."

Jamie glared at him, "You have no idea what I would have done. But I'll tell you this…I wouldn't have got caught."

With that he turned and walked away from the house as two police officers came up to the door.

Jamie walked to his car and sat in it for a moment. His blue robe sat in the passenger seat beside him.

No matter how fast he ran, he kept getting pulled back to his old neighbourhood. Even now he was still going to have to set up the clubs here and that meant he would have to come back now and then.

But as Jamie watch the police cars drive off, he realized something important.

His old neighbourhood was part of his life, part of him. The experiences that he had there and the things he had gone through help make him the man he was today.

Jamie smirked. This place had actually helped him. He never thought that something good would come from it.

Then he started the car and drove back to Tree Hill.

**-Tree Hill Gym-**

Erica looked around the gym and searched for Jamie again.

Everything was all set up and all the students and their families were getting ready for the graduation to start.

And Jamie was no where to be seen.

Erica, Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Owen, Skills, Mouth and Karen were sitting behind the students while Nathan and Haley were up on the stage with the other teachers. Charlie was sitting on Peyton's lap, playing with one of his toys.

All their friends were buzzing about Brooke's pregnancy and everyone was so happy for both Brooke and Owen.

Erica saw Emily, Lily, Kyle, Rick and John sitting beside each other and she caught John's attention.

"Where's Jamie?" she mouthed to him.

He shrugged and shook his head.

Erica looked around and again but stopped when she saw Jamie's head poking out around the gym door.

He waved at her to follow him and then disappeared behind the door.

Erica stood and walked towards the door.

When she walked out the gym door and into the hall the noise level dropped. The hall was quiet and all you heard was the muffled voices from the gym and Jamie's footprints as he paced up and down the hall.

"What are you doing?! You have to go in there and make a speech!" Erica said.

"I know! I know! I just…my speech isn't right. It doesn't talk about what's really important, it's just about change." Jamie leaned up against the wall and slide down to sit on the floor.

Erica sighed and sat down beside him.

"You're sitting on my graduation robe," Jamie said.

"Ya, don't care. Listen, if you don't like your speech then just change it. It's all up to you," Erica replied.

Jamie sighed and said, "When did you learn to have an answer to everything."

She smiled and said, "Somewhere between being kidnapped by a mad woman the first time and hitting said mad woman with a metal pipe. It's really toss-up."

Jamie smiled sadly and said, "We've been through a lot, haven't we?"

Erica smirked and replied, "You just figured that out now?"

Jamie laughed slightly and looked at the cards in his hands.

Erica bit her lip and then said, "Ya, we've been through more then usual people. But we had each other though everything and now look at us. We have a lot of family and friends and we're happy. It has all worked out."

"And when you're up on that stage, I'll be thinking one thing…please God don't let him trip!"

Jamie laughed and the two of them stood up. "So any more encouraging words before I go in there and embarrass myself?"

Erica looked up at him and replied, "That hat makes you look like a dork."

Jamie messed up her hair and she smirked at him.

"You'll do great," Erica said sincerely.

Then they heard someone walking down the hall. They turned and saw a young woman dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and an army style jacket walking towards them.

"Excuse me," she asked, "Do either of you know if Brooke Davis is here?"

"Ya, she's in the gym. She's here for Jamie's graduation," Erica said pointing at Jamie.

The woman frowned slightly and looked at Jamie.

Then she broke out into a smile and she said, "Oh my God…"

Jamie rolled his eyes, "Yes, we are James and Erica Scott, the kids that went missing and found our way back to our parents."

The woman just smiled again and replied, "You must not remember me. But I guess is has been years since you pulled me around on my skateboard."

Then it was Jamie's turn to frown before he smiled as well.

"Sam?"

Sam laughed and replied, "The one and only!"

They hugged and when they pulled away Sam looked at him. "Wow, things have changed. This time around it's me looking up at you! You're so tall! And handsome! Damn you must be beating them off with a stick!"

Jamie laughed and said, "No my girlfriend is enough warning."

Erica cleared her throat and they looked at her. "Um, someone mind telling what's going on?"

Sam replied, "I'm Sam Walker, one of Brooke's first foster kids. I knew Jamie when he was running around with ice cream all over his face!"

Erica laughed and linked arms with her. "I would love to hear all the embarrassing stories you have about Jamie!" she said as they walked towards the gym.

"No you don't!" Jamie called walking behind them.

They entered the gym and while Jamie went with his friends, Erica and Sam went to the others.

Brooke spotted them before they got to the seats and stood up to meet them.

"Sam?" she asked, hardly believing her eyes.

Sam nodded and hugged Brooke warmly. Tears came to both their eyes and it was a wonderful scene to watch.

They pulled apart and Sam said, "Brooke you have no idea how much I owe you. When I graduated high school, I thanked you. When I graduated collage I thanked you. And when my boyfriend proposed I thanked you."

Brooke was speechless as Sam pulled a red wedding invitation out of her bag. "Please…will you come to my wedding?"

Brooke just screamed and hugged Sam again.

"Don't burst my ear drums! I need them for picking the band!" Sam joked.

**-The graduation begins-**

The minutes went by awful fast for Jamie and before he knew it, it was time to give his speech.

He stood up and walked to the podium.

When he looked out at the crowd, the gym seemed a lot bigger and all he could see was the huge crowd.

Playing basketball in front of big crowds was different to giving a speech. At basketball you had a whole team to back you up, but in this he was alone.

Then his eyes found his family and when he saw Erica nodding encouragingly at him, his nerves melted away.

He smiled and put his speech down on the podium, forgetting about it.

"I'm supposed to give a speech about how great change is and how this is a whole new start for all of us. But although that is true, I want to talk about something else. I have more to say but I think I'm having my baby-oh wait that's my mom's line!"

The room burst into laugher and Haley smiled at him but he knew she tell him off about it later.

Jamie waited for silence and continued, "Whoever said the world is a small place must have never had a family, because the world can seem like an awful big place when you are away from the people you love. Ten miles can seem like ten thousand miles and the further you away get the more you miss them. Despite what you might think, when you are away at collage or in another country, you will miss your family."

"The world holds many wonderful and beautiful things. But what those other places don't have is what Tree Hill has. Tree Hill has memories of playing in the park, going to school or having a bite to eat at your favourite café. Tree Hill has your friends that will always be there for you and most importantly, Tree Hill has your family, the greatest gift you have."

"No matter how far you travel or how long you stay away. No matter what wonderful and amazing things you see and no matter what great people you meet, promise yourselves something. Promise that you will never forget the small town in North Carolina that holds the most important things to you."

"And I'll tell you something that I was told just a few days, something that my family was told before me. Something that a very smart mother told her very stubborn son."

"There is only one Tree Hill and it will always be our home."

With that the crowd was up on its feet, cheering and clapping for Jamie.

He smiled and thanked them.

He saw Erica standing in the crowd and she mouthed to him, "I'm proud of you."

He mouthed back, "Thanks."

**-Graduation party-**

Tric was filled with the graduating class and the noise level was louder than normal.

The adults were upstairs in Peyton's office and Erica was going between there and the club.

Jamie was in the club getting ready to play onstage and Erica got all of the adults including Sam to come and watch him. Not that they needed encouragement.

They stood near the bar and watched as Jamie got ready with the band.

Haley bit her lip with worry. "What if he gets nervous?" she asked.

Erica laughed, "Jamie only gets worried when it comes to speeches. When he plays basketball or the guitar, he's completely relaxed."

They watched as Jamie went up to the microphone and said, "Hey everyone, are you having fun tonight?" The crowed cheered happily.

"Ok well here is one of Erica's favourite songs. I promised her that I'd play it tonight and I don't want to know what will happen if I don't."

The crowd laughed and Erica said smiling, "He is in so much trouble when gets off that stage."

Jamie smiled at her and said, "You all might recognise this one."

They started playing and the crowd cheered. Jamie went to the microphone and sang.

_I don't need to be anything other_

_Than a prison guard's son_

_I don't need to be anything other_

_Than a specialist's son_

_I don't have to be anything other_

_Than the birth of two souls in one_

_Part of where I'm going, is knowing where I'm coming from_

_I don't want to be_

_Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately_

_All I have to do_

_Is think of me and I have peace of mind_

_I'm tried of looking 'round rooms_

_Wondering what I've got to do_

_Or who I'm supposed to be_

_I don't want to be anything other than me_

_I'm surrounded by liars everywhere I turn_

_I'm surrounded by impostors everywhere I turn_

_I'm surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn_

_Am I the only one who noticed?_

_I can't be the only one who's learned!_

_I don't want to be_

_Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately_

_All I have to do_

_Is think of me and I have peace of mind_

_I'm tried of looking 'round rooms_

_Wondering what I've got to do_

_Or who I'm supposed to be_

_I don't want to be anything other than me_

_Can I have everyone's attention please?_

_If you're not like this and that, you're gonna have to leave_

_I came from the mountain_

_The crust of creation_

_My whole situation-made from clay to stone_

_And now I'm telling everybody_

_I don't want to be_

_Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately_

_All I have to do_

_Is think of me and I have peace of mind_

_I'm tried of looking 'round rooms_

_Wondering what I've got to do_

_Or who I'm supposed to be_

_I don't want to be anything other than me_

_I don't want to be_

_I don't want to be_

_I don't want to be_

_I don't want to be_

The cheering was deafening and Haley clapped in amazement at her son's talent.

Nathan leaned down and spoke in her ear, "He gets that for you. Music must run in the family."

Haley smiled and wiped away the happy tears.

Jamie finished the rest of the songs and walked off the stage. He got together Emily, Lily, John, Kyle and Rick and told them to wait for him outside.

He walked over to Erica and said, "Come on, we're going to the river court."

Erica shook her head and replied, "No this is you're graduation. Spend it with you're friends."

Jamie smirked and said, "You are my friend. We may fight, call each other names and annoy each other but we're still friends as well as family."

Erica smiled and as she walked out the door with Jamie she grabbed her bag from the closet.

**-River court-**

Erica sat on one of the benches and sketched on her drawing pad while everyone was having a huge basketball match.

"Hey Erica!"

Erica looked up to see Jamie standing there with the ball while the other walked over to the bleachers.

"Ready for a one-on-one game Baby Scott?" he asked.

Erica quickly finished her drawing, put it one the bench and jumped up to grab the ball.

"Bring it on, old man!"

Their friends watched not knowing that something like this had happened before at the exact same place. The ball was thrown up and the game started.

The drawing lay on the wooden bench and the colours stood out against the white background. Erica had defiantly inherited her drawing style from her mom.

The page was split in half from the left side to the right side.

On the top half were sketches of Nathan, Haley, Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Mouth and Skills.

Across the bottom were sketches of Jamie, Erica, Emily, John, Lily, Kyle, and Rick.

The drawings were simple but meaningful as where the words written on it.

One sentence written across the top while the other was written across the bottom.

_This where it began…_

…_and this is where it continues…_

**That's it! The end of the story! I hope you guys enjoyed it and thank you all for reviewing! **

**I would love it if you guys reviewed. I want real feedback about the story. You can tell me your favourite chapter, your favourite OC, your favourite quote and stuff like that. If you have any favourites that is. **

**And if you can't be bothered than just tell me your favourite quote. Mine is anytime that Brooke said fudge instead of a swear word because I do that so many times as well.**

**You guys are great**** reviewers and readers and I can't thank you enough! **


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